A Place to Call Home
by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: What will happen when Heath and Nick meet Audra Turner who is, unbeknowns to them, their half sister and offer her a job working for the mother in the house and light work around the ranch? Yes, Audra is the illegitimate child of Tom Barkley in this AU. Rating changed to M due to one chapter. Please remember, they do NOT know their true relation.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**A/N **This is based on the idea of 'what if Audra was the illegitimate child'…only Leah Thomson isn't the woman Tom had an affair with, and her (Audra's) situation isn't the most ideal. Also, for the life of me I have never succeeded when it comes to the use of an outline. I've been told I write something called freestyle so…there's always a chance one of the brothers will, unknowingly, fall for Audra only to have to deal with the cold hard facts when the truth comes out. I'm not saying that will definitely happen only that the possibility is high. So, if that possibility bothers you, simply don't take the chance of reading the story.

**~oOo~**

Audra Turner followed her red headed twenty year old friend Jenny Baker up the stairs and to the room that Jenny said would be hers to use for the duration that she worked at Rockville's saloon. Audra would have preferred to live elsewhere, but what choice did she have? When it came to Rockville, the only people she knew were Jenny and the girl's father, the owner of the saloon. As it was, the job offer Mr. Baker had made to her before he and Jenny had left Strawberry was a chance for her to get away from working in her Uncle Keith's saloon. Everyone knew the man would steal many of Audra's tips and they were forever trying to get her to lower her standards and do more than flirt in some way to get the men to buy their drinks.

"This room will be yours." Jenny said as she stopped in front of a room with a number three on the door. "Saloon doesn't open until five, I suggest you rest up. Rumor has it there's a cattle drive going through and, most likely, there will be at least one or two cowboys coming in tonight."

"Okay." Audra said as Jenny opened the door and then stepped aside to let Audra pass."I'll be ready." She then watched as Jenny walked away before stepping inside and shutting the door. Soon Audra was putting what few things she had away and, for whatever reason, found herself thinking about the last time she'd seen her mother's brother, Keith.

_"You can't just up and leave! I need you here!" Keith stood in his saloon yelling and screaming worse than any two year old throwing a temper tantrum._

Audra rolled her eyes. The only thing he needed was the money he stole from her. She was sure it was one source he used to supply his own alcohol habit. How the man managed to keep a saloon going was something she would never figure out. "I am not just up and leaving." Audra, who wasn't exactly known for being a push over, planted her feet and let her uncle have both barrels. "I told you last month Mr. Baker was considering hiring me and that, if he actually made me an offer, I was taking it."

_ Keith exploded again. "What are you gonna do when you need some sort of help? What family are you gonna turn to?"_

It was all Audra could do not roll her eyes again. Family? Help? Was he serious? He'd never had so much a minute for her or her mother. That is, unless it was order them around in the saloon. When it came to help, her mother had had to rely on a couple of good friends for that as Keith had flat out refused to help saying her mother shouldn't need the help with all the men she had in her life. That part was a flat out lie. People who saw Rose working in a saloon, and knew she had an illegitimate child, called her wild. However, people who really knew her would tell you she was the tame one…and that no man except Audra's father had succeeded in getting her to lie with them. They'd also tell people Rose simply made a mistake and fell in love with the wrong man, even if they couldn't give anyone his name.

_ "I'll do the same thing I do now." Audra snapped with great force. "I'll fend for myself or look to people like Jenny Baker." In spite of what her uncle said about the Baker's they were good enough people who had helped her out time and time again since her mother died four years ago._

"You'll never make it!" Keith screamed as Audra marched past him and out the door. "You'll come crawling back here sooner or later and needin' help! Until you do you'll never really have a home to go once your daily work is done! No one else wants a bastard around!" He continued yelling various things only his niece didn't hear them as she was out of ear shot within seconds.

Home, Audra thought as her uncle's last words rang in her ears and she shook her head. It was a word that held meaning when her mother was alive as they'd lived in a small one room home, but just before Audra turned fifteen Rose Turner had died and Audra had been forced to live with friends home or a room in her uncle's saloon, one that her mother's friend, another saloon waitress, let her share with her when possible. For, in spite of what the man had yelled, he was the worst when it came to the way she was treated because of her legal status when it came to her birth. No, she had never so much as set a foot in her uncle's home as Keith had refused to let a bastard through his door."Well," Audra spoke to no one in particular as she lay down on the bed provided her, "for better or worse, I've got a place to stay for now."

** ~oOo~**

The saloon was full of customers when Heath Barkley walked into the Rockville saloon. Normally, he would be with Nick, the rest of the men and the cattle out on the range, only one of the men had had an accident. Since they were just outside of Rockville, Nick had asked him to take the injured man into town to see a doctor. Now, with the man resting for awhile at the doctor's office, Heath had decided to grab a drink or two while he waited. Maybe, he'd even play a game of cards while he waited for time to pass.

Audra, who was laughing and joking with one of the regular patrons, saw the stranger walk in. She couldn't help but watch him as he found his way to towards one of the tables. Laughing at something one of the men said, she gave him another beer and then made her way over to where Heath was standing.

Heath, who had been looking around to see if there was a card game he might join, saw the blonde haired waitress walking towards him. Having been in the Rockville saloon a number of times, he knew Audra was new at the establishment.

"What are you doing just standing there, cowboy?" Audra took a hold of his arm and looked around, "We are busy, but not so busy there's not a free table."

"Just looking for a few drinks and a card game to pass some time," Heath smiled at the pretty young woman in front of him. He couldn't help but wonder who she was; she looked so familiar, and he didn't know why.

"Well then, come along. There's a few games going on, and I'll get you those drinks." Audra said as she led him through the saloon. Once he'd found a game to join, Audra went to get his drinks.

Later, when he went to leave, Audra made it a point to tell him to come back anytime and bring his friends with him. While he knew she was only doing her job, Heath was determined to make sure he and Nick stopped by on their way home. Not because he was interested in the girl as a courting prospect, but because he wanted to see if she looked as familiar to his brother as she did to him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Nick and Heath stepped into the Rockville saloon. They had finished a two week cattle drive and were on their way home. Heath had told Nick all about Audra Turner and the conversation the two of them had had when Heath was in town. Nick had agreed to go to the saloon and meet the young waitress, said they needed a couple of drinks anyway and they might as well stop in Rockville to get them. The room was full of smoke and loud chatter, not surprising seeing how full the place was. The two brothers made their way to a table in the corner of the room which had just become available. As they did, Nick saw the beautiful young saloon girl Heath had described to him headed their way with a tray full of drinks.

"You haven't worked around her very long have you?" Nick asked as he smiled wide at the pretty blonde haired woman when she asked them if they'd like the beer she had on the tray.

Audra Turner had to bite her tongue from saying something sarcastic in reply to what she saw as a very stupid observation. She might not have, but she needed her job too bad to risk offending one of the saloon's patrons. So instead, she smiled, laughed and said, "Nope, I've worked here for a long time, a whole ten days."

It was all Heath could do not to bust up laughing at his brother, who was looking more than embarrassed. His brother did have a way of saying the darnest things around a pretty face even when he knew the answer to the question he asked. "You'll pardon my brother." Heath returned her smile with one of his own. "It's been a long few weeks. We'll take the beer, thank you."

Audra gave Heath and Nick a genuine smile as she placed the drinks in front of them and then left, but not before telling them her first name and instructing them that, if they wanted another drink, they were just to speak up and she'd get them one.

As Heath and Nick sat and drank their beers, they watched the new waitress laughing and talking with the other patrons. By the way the things the men said and the way they looked, they might have thought she was more than a waitress in a saloon. Only they didn't for one simple reason. "There are establishments in various places with dance hall girls for that kind of stuff" was the reply they had heard her give more than once by the time they had their drinks finished. Naturally, she was laughing and chastising the men as she did so. Heath and Nick knew it was because she had to get the men to buy the liquor the saloon sold.

Heath watched and listened, as Audra politely turned down another vulgar offer while keeping a smile on her face and a laugh in her voice. However, there was something about her that he could not put his finger on. While he didn't know what it was, he did know one thing. He turned to his brother and asked, "Well? Does she seem familiar to you?"

Nick, who had been watching Audra even closer than Heath had, shrugged his shoulders as he replied, "Not really, but I'll say this much for her; she does her job well. Not many waitresses can turn down the advances of the men without the men even knowing it." He had observed men trying to get Audra onto their lap and she, like an expert, turning things around where the men actually forgot that's what they'd been trying to do, but still bought the drinks she offered.

Heath tapped the table with his fingers and then surprised Nick when he said, "She doesn't belong in a saloon. I think that young woman needs another line of work."

Now it was Nick who was questioning Heath's motivations for saying such a thing and his one eyebrow rose slightly. Heath sat back as he kept an eye on this Audra, but answered Nick's questioning look with a simple statement. "I never said I was looking at her in 'that' way. There's just…" he paused and shrugged, "I don't know, something about her that screams she doesn't belong in a place like this."

Nick, looking at Audra, had to agree, but he didn't know what they could do about it either. "Heath, whether or not you like it, this is her line of work. From what I can see, she is doing well, probably has fiends too." Then, due to the fact that Heath had told Nick some of the conversation he'd had with Miss Turner the night he brought their hurt man into town, the part where she didn't really like the work she did, he said, "However, if you can think of something she'll go for by morning, let me know. Though, I wouldst count on her listenin' to you. It's not like we know each other." He then said he was going to find a poker game to join.

Heath might have joined his brother, only one of the patrons was starting to get a bit rough with the new waitress. Heat stood up and quickly moved across the floor, in a diagonal direction. Soon he was pulling the man away from the blonde haired waitress.

"I was only taking what I paid for!" The drunk slurred only to find Heath repeating, basically, what Audra had already told him; he'd have to find 'that kind of entertainment' in another establishment, maybe with one of the dance hall girls that worked in those kinds of places.

"Thanks," Audra, who was unaccustomed to anyone helping her, straightened her dress as a way to cover up how upset she really was. She had to; she had to keep her employment. It was that or go back to Strawberry and back to her uncle and his run down saloon. The second option wasn't even considerable as her mother's brother had done nothing but forced her mother into waiting tables in his saloon as a way to pay a huge debt he had originally told her not to worry about. No, her Uncle Keith was 'simply her mother's employer', and he treated her horribly.

Audra cursed inside herself as her uncle was constantly reminding Audra that she was a bastard and that her mother was no better than a dance hall girl. The last part was simply not true and Audra knew it. More than once she'd peeked into the saloon only to see her mother tell some fellow off and then give him the location of some place that would have 'those kind of women'. More than once she'd heard men complain that they wanted to bed 'that pretty Rose', but she'd have none of it. Because, Miss Turner would never speak of her father, Audra didn't know who he was, but she knew it was more than a one night stand because she could see a longing in her mother's eyes the few times she, Audra, asked about him.

"You didn't have to step in, but I appreciate it," Audra said, bringing herself back to the present situation. She turned and walked back to the bar. She wasn't surprised when the blond haired gentleman followed her, but she was shocked by the words he spoke.

Heath, again remembering a few of the things she'd said to him the first night he dropped in, stopped a few feet from her and took a deep breath and said, hoping he wouldn't be in too much trouble with Nick later, "I know you said you were making enough money to provide for yourself and, I would guess, you have friends. Still, this doesn't seem the place a young woman like you should be working." he paused again and then said, "My brother and I don't leave town until nine tomorrow morning. Please, meet us at the café at eight and listen to what I have to say. I promise I'll not try a thing and neither will he." It was a promise he would make sure was kept.

Audra hesitated. She was used to men lying to her and expecting her to fall for it; yet, there was something different with this one. She could tell that. Finally, because she really didn't like the line of work life had handed her, she picked up her tray and said, "I'll be there." She then went back to work while Heath went to find Nick.

"So," Nick smirked at Heath, "How far did you get with her after you stepped in?" He was sure the action was proof his brother was indeed interested in the girl.

Heath shot him and the other two fellows Nick was playing with a glare and said, "I wasn't trying to pick her up." He said nothing else as the red headed gentleman next to him handed him some cards. However, the look he gave Nick put the dark haired rancher on a bit of an edge. His brother had more to say to him; he just knew it. He also knew it would have to wait as Heath, apparently, didn'twant to talk about it in public.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Okay, I won't say which chapter it is only that high possibility I spoke of when I started posting this story has forced itself to the front. I promise, I'll be careful with the relationship. They might not know the truth, but I do!**

**Chapter Three**

Audra walked up the stairs of the small two bedroom home that was owned by an elderly woman by the name of Beatrice Cook. She had befriended Audra shortly after Audra had moved to Rockville. With her mind on Heath Barkley and wondering why he even cared, Audra almost missed the last step and had to catch herself from falling. Afterwards she knocked on the door and waited until she heard her friend's voice call out for her to enter; the calling out instead of answering told her the older woman must be extremely busy. Opening the door she stepped inside, needing someone to talk to.

Sure enough, Beatrice was sitting at the kitchen table finishing up the last of her canning; that is, the last of it for the day. Beatrice looked up as Audra shut the door. "What's wrong?" The elderly lady stood up, instantly concerned by the troubled look she saw upon her young friend's face. Beatrice had been widowed for only a short time. Having been blessed with a good man for a husband her only regret was that they had never had children. Beatrice had not only befriended Audra as a friend, but looked at her as if she was the daughter she'd never had. It was for that very reason that Beatrice had decided she needed to start looking so hard for something besides waitressing in a saloon for her young friend. Now, seeing Audra looking rather uneasy, had Beatrice on high alert.

"Nothing really, I just…" Audra hung her light jacket over the only other chair by the table and then sat down, rubbing the palm of one hand with the fingers of another as she spoke. "A couple of men, brothers, came into the saloon tonight." She went onto say who they were, how she felt Nick had simply used a lousy pick up line, and how Heath had approached her and what he'd said. She also confessed she'd met Heath the first night she'd worked at the saloon and had had a rather lengthy conversation with him.

Excitement replaced the worry in Beatrice's eyes. Her late husband had done business with Nick and Heath Barkley a number of times. She knew the family's reputation well. She wasn't worried about Nick. A pretty face might catch his eye, he might chase it too, but he'd never use a woman and then walk away either. And, if Heath was looking Audra's way, even if he said it was only to help her get out of the saloon, he had to be serious. Beatrice leaned forward ever so slightly. "Make sure you go. They're good men." She went on to tell Audra how she knew. By the time she was finished Beatrice could tell how tired Audra was. "Don't go back to the saloon tonight." Beatrice sat back in her chair. "You're better than the girls working the evening shift. Use the spare room. I don't mind, really."

Audra nodded. She had stayed longer than she meant to and to leave now; with as dark as it was, would only be inviting trouble as Beatrice was right. If she was seen out at this time of night, with the dress she had on, she'd be mistaken for a woman looking for some nightly activity, and she wasn't. "I'll do that." She too stood up, thanked her host and headed to the spare bedroom. One she was inside, Audra kicked off her shoes and stockings and then lay down upon the bed.

However, as much as she wanted to sleep it eluded her as her mind turned the clock back…back to day after they'd buried her mother.

_"I don't know what to tell you, Audra." Teresa, a thirty five year old red hair friend of the late Rose Turner, looked with sympathy upon the girl who was barely fifteen. "In spite of what that louse of an uncle of yours says, or anyone else, your mama was __**not **__a loose woman. Yes, she was a waitress here in the saloon; yes, she flirted with the men just like the rest of us do, but she only knew one man in 'that' sense." Teresa laid her hand upon the young girl's shoulder and led her away from her mother's grave. "I never caught his full name and I only saw him twice, but your mama loved him." Teresa stopped near a small stream that sat a hundred yards from Miss Tanner's grave. "She always told me the same thing she told you…that your father was a good man. She asked me not to judge him after he'd stopped coming around, and I found out she was going to have you."_

_ "He left because of me?" Audra was hurt and angry. Her mother had never told her that. How could he be a good man if he did something like that?_

_"No," Teresa was quick to correct that notion. "His visits stopped two weeks before your mother began to suspect she was with child, so I can honestly say it wasn't because of you."_

_ Audra was confused. "But if she only saw him, if he was a good man, why wouldn't she simply go and tell him about me?" As she asked the question, she was thinking 'If he knew, I wouldn't have to work for my abusive, thieving uncle.'_

_ Teresa loved Audra dearly and, as a general rule, she was known to have more than enough spunk. Still, once in a great while, Teresa wondered who turned the light off. There was only one reason that she knew of that her late friend would have to keep the baby a secret; the man wasn't as free as everyone had assumed he was. "Only your mother could tell you that." She gave Audra a squeeze and then told her she, Teresa, would make sure she had a job if Audra needed it. "Even if I have to hold a few things over that aunt of yours head." When Audra questioned if that was necessary, Teresa added, "Of course, you know it might be. After all, you know there's not much chance that Keith Turner will do anything for you without something in return."_

Keith, Audra scoffed as she lay in her bed. Her uncle had never done anything for her while her mother was living and, true to Teresa's words, he'd done nothing for her afterward. That is, nothing but continue to pressure her to 'take on side work'…as they were sure a pretty bastard like her would have no problem finding clientele. It made Audra sick as she rolled on her side and closed her eyes. She knew full well what he'd meant was she'd have more money for him to steal. Was it any wonder that the first chance she got Audra had jumped at the chance to leave Strawberry? At least here no one took her money and the only ones pressuring her change her job title were the drunks in the saloon, not an uncle she'd as soon as forget.

**~oOo~**

Nick and Heath each lay in their beds, though, like Audra, they were not sleeping. How could they when Heath had just told Nick what had taken place at the saloon and what he wanted to do.

"Look Heath," Nick sat up in his bed and looked at his brother. "I believe you when you say you feel like that girl seems familiar to you; I'll agree with you that something just screams that Miss Turner doesn't belong in a saloon, but ask her to give her hand at helping around the ranch or in the house? Are you serious?"

"Why not?" Heath swung his legs over the bed and sat up too. "Mother works around the ranch and she's said more than once she would like help. If Miss Turner will take the job offer, I'm sure mother will give her a fair chance. And, would it hurt us to have help on the ranch?"

Nick didn't doubt that for a moment; still, he shook his head and lay down. "Go to sleep. Our breakfast guest won't like it if she finds herself eating alone.'

Heath gave his brother a crooked smile and lay down. Nick didn't have to come right out and say it was a good idea; as long as he didn't fight the idea Nick had to think the idea was at least acceptable to some degree.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

By seven forty-five in the morning Audra, who had put on the only dress she owned, the only one acknowledged by society as acceptable that is, stepped into the café. She knew Heath had said eight o'clock, only she feared if she wasn't a bit early, she wouldn't come at all. From where she stood, Audra could see Nick and Heath just sitting down at a table. They must have entered the café moments before she had. For a split second, the young woman thought about turning around and leaving in spite of Beatrice's pleas for her to follow through on the meeting. After all, she might not like being a waitress in a saloon; still, it was very familiar territory. Before she could actually back out though, Heath and Nick turned their heads and saw her. Heath motioned her over.

Audra sighed; so much for telling her friend she'd simply changed her mind. Slowly, she began making her way past one table after another. Soon she stood next to the table that set in the far left hand corner of the café. Nick stood up before Heath could and took a hold of the chair between him and Heath. "Let me." He said as pulled the chair out for her. Audra bristled inside, not because Nick had done anything wrong or implied anything like that, but simply because she wasn't used to being treat like a lady. No, men ever wanted to help her; they simply wanted to paw all over her and hope to get her to lower herself to the class of a woman of the night.

Cautiously, she took Nick's offer and sat down on the chair. After Nick had helped scoot the chair in, he sat back down. Audra, keeping one eye on Nick, looked at Heath with suspicion and said rather bluntly. "We need to make this short. I'm supposed to be to work at nine thirty as the saloon opens early today and, as you can plainly see, I'm not dressed for work."

Heath didn't blame Miss Turner for her bluntness or for the distrust he saw in her eyes. He'd talked to her boss and knew how much experience she had when it came to working in a saloon. He was just going to have to convince her his only motivation in making the offer he'd discussed with Nick the night before was to help her get away from the saloons, nothing else. Taking a look at Nick, who gave him an ever slight nod; Heath took a deep breath and began. "You mentioned the first night we met that you are only in the saloon because it was a way to earn a living after your mother died. And, like I said last night, I don't think you belong in a saloon. I talked it over with my brother here and we'd like to offer you a more reputable job."

Audra frowned slightly. She wasn't sure what to make of his words. If it weren't for the Widow Cook's words concerning these men, Audra would have thanked them politely and told her she'd changed her mind. As it was, after a minute of saying nothing, she asked, "What type of work and where?"

"Partly on our family ranch and partly in our home," Heath answered.

The only experience Audra had had in any home was that of her late Aunt Samantha's and that of the few "friends" the woman had. Needless to say all she'd ever seen were very selfish, small minded women bossing others around…especially when they hadn't been consulted about the hiring in the first place. "Your mother works out on the ranch?"

"It's a working ranch." Nick spoke up, no nonsense tone in his voice, "Everybody helps out one way or the other, including mother." He chuckled as a grin spread over his face, "And I'm not going to tell her she can't; none of us are."

Audra felt a huge struggle going on inside herself. It sounded great compared to what she'd been raised, what she had now, the only problem was…she wondered if Mrs. Barkley had been consulted yet. She couldn't but wonder why a fancy woman, such as Mrs. Barkley had to be, would want anyone who had worked in a saloon around. "What does your mother say to all this?" She asked as she looked at both Heath and Nick.

Nick looked at Heath, his eyes telling his blond haired brother that he could deal with that one. Heath wasn't surprised and answered, "We only sent a telegram off to her this morning. We haven't heard back yet. She won't mind though; she was talking about hirin' help anyway." Heath quickly added when he saw Audra stiffen, hoping she'd accept. It's not like she couldn't keep looking for other honorable work in the meantime. This being the case, he didn't want her to think there was anything standing in her way of accepting the job offer.

Not knowing Audra's background, or the way her mother and she had been mistreated by her uncle and late aunt, both brothers were surprised when Audra snapped. "She won't mind? You are offering me the job and simply telling her about it? She has no voice in the matter?" She stood up, fury in her eyes.

"You misunderstand…" Heath hurried to correct the wrong assumption only to have Audra snap back at him.

"And Beatrice said you were different!" Audra spun around and stormed out of the café.

When Heath stood up to go after her, Nick stopped him. "I know you and Jarrod say I'm the same as a bull in a china shop, only let me handle this one. I have an idea." Nick hurried out of the café before Heath could ask him just what that idea was.

Once outside, Nick sprinted to catch up with the young blonde haired woman. "Miss Turner!" Nick called out, hoping that the more formal title would show her he was doing his best to show her respect. He was relieved when Audra stopped in her tracks, even if she didn't turn around.

"Miss Turner," Nick repeated himself as he stopped running and walked around in front of Audra. "Please," he put the back of his wrists on his hips and gave her a very serious look, "hear me out. Afterwards, if you still want to storm off, I won't stop you."

A portion of her wanted to hit him and tell him where to go. The other part, the part that really did want out of a saloon, won. "All right, what do you have to say?" She folded her arms and held her head high. It made Nick smile inwardly; Audra Turner was a feisty one.

"While I know my mother well enough to know she wouldn't object especially since she _is_ talking about hirin' someone anyway, she does have a voice. And," he smiled wide and chuckled, "she knows how to use it." He then grew serious again. "I'd like to alter my brother's offer just a little."

"In what way?" Audra asked, remaining stiff and keeping any emotion off her face.

"Legally the ranch is mine." He said as he took off his hat and did his best to relax. "However, we simply call it our family ranch because the family all lives on the land and we all work it." He wasn't surprised when Audra remained stiff. "Agree to do light work for me on the ranch and then, when we get to Stockton, I will talk to my mother. I will tell her what Heath and I talked about. IF she wants to hire you as the extra help she was talkin' about then you can also work for her. If not, you can still work for me. There is a spare room in the house that you could use." He looked her over and smiled as he said, "There's no way I'm having you sleep in the bunkhouse."

Audra liked the idea that he had altered the offer to make it so his mother had to be confirmed about someone being hired to help her. However, due to her experiences with the men who had worked for her uncle and the men she dealt with in her line of work, she asked rather bluntly, and in a bit of a harsh tone, "The boss isn't going to be expecting any favors is he?"

Nick was appalled at the innuendo her question held and the shock of it shown in his voice. He replied in just as blunt of a manner and with a snap to his voice, "I will most certainly not. I may be a lot of things, but I'm not the kind of man that uses any woman like that."

In spite of herself, Audra smiled. The smile went from her mouth up to her eyes. As she'd confessed to Heath, she really did want a chance to learn something besides waiting tables in a place full of drunks. "I won't be able to start for a couple of weeks. I mean, I should be polite enough to give my boss notice. I mean, Mr. Baker has never been anything, but a gentleman to me, and his daughter is a very good friend."

Nick could understand that one. "Fine with me," he said as he put his hat back on. "Come straight to Stockton once you are through here. I'll be waiting for you. I'll have talked to my mother by then." He turned around and headed back towards the café.

Audra then turned around and hurried back to her room above the saloon. After all, she had to hurry or she'd be late for work.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Mother!" Nick hollered as he and Heath walked in the door, practically slamming the door behind him.

"Boy howdy, Nick," Heath said as he rubbed his ears, "I think you'd better yell again. I don't think she can hear you."

"Very funny," Nick growled, only Heath wasn't worried about it; seeing how Nick's eyes were laughing as he growled. He would have said more to Heath but his mother came out of the dining room. Heath started roaring with laughter when she, basically, said the same thing.

"So," Victoria said as she looked at Nick with both amusement and frustration, "What's going on that is so urgent that you need to raise the roof when you enter?"

Nick removed his gloves as he explained everything that had taken place in Rockville, never once thinking to mention the young woman was originally from Strawberry. Neither he nor Heath were surprised when Victoria's eyes widened, though her surprise came more from the mere fact that Nick had gone along with hiring a woman to help out with the work on the ranch.

Victoria might have said as much too, only she wasn't having any luck in finding someone she felt comfortable with. If Nick was fine with the idea of this Miss Turner helping on the ranch, she was willing to give the young woman a chance. "When will she arrive?" she looked at her sons.

"In just over two weeks," Heath spoke up, his lop sided grin appeared on his face as he glanced at Nick, " said she had to give her boss notice."

Now Victoria was surprised even more. After all, she knew many saloon waitress's who simply walked out on the job if they thought they had something better waiting for them. To give her employer a decent amount of notice before quitting told Victoria that this Audra Turner valued other people enough to show them at least some degree of true respect. "Well, we'll see how she works out when she gets here. Right now, I need to get down to the orphanage. I promised Father Thomas I'd help with the rummage sale."

Before their mother left, Nick and Heath both emphasized the fact that Audra would need to be told up front that they, Heath and Nick, had not pushed their mother into hiring her. "The young woman didn't care for the idea that we treated our mother like she had no choice in her being hired to help you." Nick explained.

"Oh, I'll make sure she knows I have one." Victoria smiled wide with a twinkle in her eye as she walked out the front door.

Nick and Heath headed for the living room as they're mother exited the house. Soon they were sitting in the chairs near the big fire place, relaxing from their trip home.

"Think she'll actually show up?" Heath asked as he took a bite out of the apple he'd picked up.

"Didn't think you were interested in her," Nick smirked as he too picked up an apple.

"I'm not." Heath shook his head at his brother, "That is, not in the way you're implying. It's just like I keep on saying, she looks so familiar is all. It's drivin' me up a wall."

"Who looks so familiar?" Jarrod asked as he entered the living room; he'd been in the study going over a current case he was working on and was taking a break. He'd entered the room just in time to hear the last part of Heath's answer to Nick, and it made him curious.

"Audra Turner, a waitress down at the Rockville saloon." Heath answered as he then went on to explain what was going on.

"Mother said she'd give her a chance." Nick told Jarrod as his oldest brother poured himself a drink. "And she'll be helping out around the ranch also."

Jarrod, who had just started to take a drink, about choked on his sherry. After coughing a couple of times, he stared at Nick and asked, "Since when did you hire a saloon girl to work on the ranch."

Nick kicked his feet up on the coffee table and growled, "Just to help out with the light work around the place, like cleaning stalls and such. Heath here," Nick gestured towards Heath, "really wanted her out of that place and, I admit, there's something about her that screams she shouldn't have to sell drinks to make a living. She won't be breaking in horses or anything dangerous like that!"

Jarrod looked at Heath and asked, "What do you know about her other than she's a saloon waitress?" He could see Heath wanting to help someone out; he couldn't see him not at least getting a tiny bit information about them.

"From what the people in Rockville said, when I talked to them just before we headed out, she's on her own." He went onto explain how the "good" people were more than happy to tell him everything Audra's uncle had said when he paid Rockville a visit the day after she'd started work. Though, the people in Rockville were also quick to add that Audra had done nothing to cause any trouble and, true to Mr. Baker's word, was proving to be a hard worker. "Mr. Baker wasn't overly thrilled to be losing her just after she started working, but he confided to me that he couldn't help but be happy on account of the reason why she was leaving. Kind of makes me wonder about that uncle of hers. I mean, folks in Rockville admit the man owns a rundown saloon in Strawberry and, before we left, Audra admitted that she used to work for her uncle."

"Sounds like he wasn't happy to lose a waitress," Jarrod sat down on the sofa and continued visiting with his brothers, though the topic changed to the cattle drive his brothers had just returned from and the good price they had gotten for the animals.

** ~oOo~**

Audra hung her work dress on a wooden hook that was attached to the side of the south wall of the room she'd soon no longer be using, and then smoothed out the skirt of the dress she'd worn to meet the Barkleys in. As she looked around the room, she found herself very nervous. A part of her was thrilled she was getting a chance to do something besides work in a saloon; the other part was scared stiff.

"You really gonna leave, huh?" Jenny Baker poked her head in just as Audra finished packing. The woman hadn't believed Audra when she first told her of the offer she'd received. For her part, Audra was praying like mad that Beatrice Cook, who had been more excited than a child at Christmas when she found out the news, was right.

"Yeah," Audra picked up her suitcase and turned to face her friend. "How do I look?"

Jenny look at Audra with her hair pulled back and standing in the simple emerald green dress. She shook her head as she stepped towards Audra. "I hope you're doing the right thing. I'll miss you. We all will." She then hugged Audra hard, praying that her friend would indeed find a better life than the one she'd grown up with.

_ "I hope I know what I'm doing too. I hope Beatrice is right."_ Audra thought as she put down her suitcase, hugged her friend back and then picked her bag up again. She didn't have time to waste; she had a stagecoach to catch.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Audra did her best not to complain as the stagecoach hit one bump after another. She was sure the driver, who admitted to be a new driver, was hitting every possible pothole in the road. It made her wish there was a train that went from Rockville to Stockton. Of course, she had to chuckle, she couldn't hardly see that one ever happening.

As the only other passenger was an older gentleman who was actually managing to sleep, even if she wasn't sure how on earth he was doing it, Audra had plenty of time to think. Once again her memories took her back to the past.

_"What you gonna do when you grow up?" twelve year old Jenny asked Audra as the two of them sat in front of Jenny's home having a tea party._

_ Audra shrugged her shoulders. "Don't rightly know. I heard Uncle Keith tell mama the other day that I could work for him in a few years, but mama doesn't want me too. She says she's gonna talk to Mr. Sing and asked him if I can help out with the laundry when I turn sixteen. She said she'd talk to him now, only he has his niece helping him and he's already said his niece will be there for another four year."_

_ Jenny didn't have to ask why Audra's mother didn't ask one of the other businesses to give Audra work. Each and every one of the other owners were "good citizens" who had their noise so far up in the air they should have had nosebleeds. None of them wanted their 'fine businesses' to be "polluted" not only by a saloon waitress' daughter but a bastard as well. "Maybe something else will open up by then." Jenny said, even if she wasn't all that hopeful._

Audra sighed as was brought out of her thoughts as the stagecoach rolled into Stockton. If only Mr. Sing had not wound up moving by the time she was sixteen. Oh well, life was life and there was no good that came from holding onto what might have been. Through the window Audra began looking for either Heath or Nick Barkley. After all, Nick had wired her and said one of them would be waiting for her in town. It wasn't long before Audra saw Heath standing near the stagecoach office; he was talking to a finely dressed gentleman.

Heath and Jarrod both turned their heads at the sound of the approaching stagecoach. Ironically, Jarrod was getting ready to board the stagecoach as he had business to take care of in Lodi. Once the coach stopped, Heath stepped forward and opened the door. At the elderly man's insistence, Audra exited the stagecoach first.

"Glad you made it okay," Heath told her once he'd grabbed her bag from the driver. "This is my oldest brother, Jarrod. He's on his way to his office."

"Nice to meet you," Jarrod held out his hand and smiled at the beautiful young woman that would be working for them. Though, like Heath, Jarrod found himself feeling like he should know her from some place. However, since he couldn't come up with anything, Jarrod simply chalked it up to the fact that Miss Turner must have one of those faces…the kind everyone thinks they know but doesn't. Jarrod looked at Heath and his eyes said plenty, though his blonde haired brother said nothing. Why should he? He'd already stated a number of times he hadn't come up with the idea of Audra working for them because he was interested in courting her. That being the case, why continue saying it? That would only make it sound like he was only trying to convince himself of the fact.

"Likewise," Audra smiled, even if she was more nervous than she'd been in a long time, and shook the hand Jarrod offered. She then followed Heath, who bade his brother goodbye; to the buggy he had parked not ten feet away.

It wasn't long before the two were heading out of Stockton and towards the ranch. After a good ten minutes, Audra turned to Heath. "Please, tell me more about your family before we get there." She had spent countless hours wondering about the family she'd been working for. Yes, Beatrice Cook had been more than happy to talk about the family only Audra knew from experience that second hand information, while as accurate as someone might try to be, wasn't always correct.

"Well, there's Nick and Jarrod, who you've already met." Heath gave her a crooked smile as he began talking about his family. "You'll meet Eugene when we get home; he's the youngest. I have no sisters. Mother should be home by the time we get there; she's been at the orphanage the past few days helping Father Thomas."

Heath went onto to tell her more about Eugene and Victoria, along with Jarrod though it would be a few days before he was back in Stockton.

"What about your father?" Audra asked when Heath made no mention of the man.

"He was killed six years ago fighting the railroad; they had him shot in the back." Heath answered, a twinge of sadness could be heard in his voice. "He was a good man who did his best when it came to his family. He just wasn't about to simply roll over and do the railroad's bidding though, especially when they were practically stealing people's land to get their way. Still, left quite the legacy for each of us."

"I'm sorry he was killed. It must have hurt like crazy to lose him in that manner." Audra said. She wasn't surprised when Heath nodded, but said nothing. She had to admit that she, most likely, would have reacted pretty much the same way if the shoe had been on the other foot. She then asked, "What is your brother like? I mean, Nick, the one I'll be working for when I'm not working inside the house. And, what do you do? Work there too?"

Heath, who could see the look of someone who was very nervous in Audra's eyes, smiled at her again. "Nick is loud, hot tempered and as stubborn as any other Barkley, but don't let him fool for a moment. He has a heart of gold. Truth be told, half the time he'll be over you and half the time I will. He might own the ranch, but, yes, I still work it too and share in the responsibility of the hiring and firing. Of course, if I need a break, I can always check in on the mines and lumber businesses I have a share in." When Audra's eyes widened, Heath went on to explain just how many businesses Tom Barkley had had and that each member of the family owned interest in them. "Even Nick though, due to his owning the ranch, his shares are not quite as large as the rest of ours."

Audra could understand that one and nodded as she mentally filed the information away. "I'll keep that in mind."

The rest of the trip was made mostly in silence, as Audra was enjoying the scenery they were passing and doing her best to prepare herself for the adjustment she knew she'd have to make once they got to the ranch. And it's an adjustment she knew just had to make, or she'd have no choice but to go back to working in a saloon…and she didn't want that.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Audra thrust the pitchfork into the hay that lay on one of the stall floors. One of the jobs she'd been given was cleaning up the stables. Since she'd spent more than one hour at Strawberry's livery stable visiting her friend, Mr. Hansen, she had cleaned worked with a pitchfork and hay on more than one occasion. At the time she had not thought that doing the work would help her in her future. Now, she was extremely grateful that Mr. Hansen had not turned his nose down at her as many others did. Of course, if the man hadn't had a backbone, she'd never been allowed in his place, as his wife could be just as bad as her uncle at times. As she worked, her mind went back to when she had arrived at the Barkley ranch the day before.

_Nick was standing on the porch talking to Eugene when Heath and Audra pulled up in the buggy. Eugene couldn't help but stare at Audra. It's not that he felt any attraction to her; he didn't. Even if he did, he would never admit it as he'd just asked his girlfriend if they could seriously court each other. No, he was only staring because he hadn't expected to the young lady show up. He figured no saloon waitress would want to work part time on a ranch and part time as hired help in the house. After all, the way some men tipped, the saloon girls could actually make a decent wage._

_ "This is Eugene; my baby brother." Heath said after helping Audra down from the buggy. "And you've already met Nick."_

_ "Hello," Audra smiled at Eugene and shook his head. She then smiled politely at Nick and greeted him also._

_ "Mother is in the house; she's waiting for you." Nick nodded towards the front door as he stepped off the porch. "I need to get to work. Welcome to the ranch. I'll talk to you later about the work you'll be doing outside." He bid her goodbye as he started walking away. _

_ "Mother's waiting," Heath nodded toward the door and started walking towards it. Audra did the same while Eugene, who simply thought it ironic that Audra and Heath both had blonde hair and blue eyes, said he had to go to town. Soon Audra was standing in the rather spacious living room feeling very much out of place, especially when a petite, regal looking woman descended the stairs that led up to the second floor and entered the living room. No one had to tell Audra who the woman was; she knew._

_ "Mother," Heath addressed Victoria, "This is Audra Turner; the young woman we told you about."_

_ Victoria's eyes narrowed slightly, as she looked the young woman over. As beautiful as the young woman was, even dressed in her rather plain looking dress, Mrs. Barkley could see why the young lady had been able to make living waiting tables in a saloon. And, while a feeling reached out and tried to get her to open her eyes to what was in front of them, she refused to do so. After all, having been told her sons had met the woman in Rockville; Victoria assumed Audra been raised there as well. That being the case, she told herself that the blonde hair and blue eyes that she saw when she looked at Audra Turner were simply trait shared by many in the world. "Hello, Miss Turner."_

_ "Hello, ma'am," Audra would have told Mrs. Barkley to simply call her by her first name only she didn't know this woman well enough to know what she thought proper or improper . That is, when it came to prospective, and current, employees. _

_ "Why don't we sit down and get better acquainted?" suggested Victoria. Still keeping an eye on Audra, she motioned to the sofa and chairs the living room held._

_ "Yes, ma'am," Audra moved to the closet chair which happened to be a couple of feet from the sofa, all of a sudden sensing this was definitely not a woman to be crossed. As Audra sat down Heath excused himself._

_ "So, tell me about yourself and, if I might ask, what you were doing working in a saloon in the first place. My son, Heath, said you told him you really didn't have much choice in the matter." The way Victoria made the statement told Audra the older woman wondered about that fact._

_ "I started working in the saloon after my mother died; she'd worked in the saloon too. I had to have a way to eat and a place to sleep. I would have liked to have it been otherwise, only no one else wanted to pollute their businesses with my kind or make my uncle mad." She went on rather bluntly explain how her mother used to be a schoolteacher and had moved into a two bedroom home paid for by her brother, Keith Turner. "He told her not to worry about paying him for the house, said it was hers." Audra scoffed, "He said that until the day she showed up expecting me. He called her a few things and threatened to throw her out onto the streets, because she'd brought embarrassment to the family name when she conceived me. He said he'd take her to court if she didn't pay the debt back. He also told her he'd make sure she wound up behind bars one way or the other." Audra sat up straight and finished, "She would have gone to jail rather than to pay him a penny, only she couldn't raise a child sitting in any sort of prison. So, as much as she hated it, she went to work for him in the saloon. That is, after she fought him and got him to agree to sign a legal paper saying he'd make sure no one took me from her." _

_As she talked, Audra left out everything her uncle had said or did to her mother, along with herself afterwards. There was no reason for her to, as was not relevant to working for the Barkleys. Also, getting so caught up in talking about her mother and her need to make sure she kept, and provided for, her that Audra never once thought to mention everything she was talking about took place in Strawberry. After all, hadn't she already told Heath and Nick she was born and raised there? So, again, even when she mentioned her mother had been a schoolteacher, Victoria connected it with Rockville and never once thought of her late husband, Tom, or the affair he'd confessed to having._

Audra leaned against the outside of one of the stalls and looked around. However, before she could make an assessment of any kind the door began to open. She quickly went back to work, fearing she'd lose her job if she was caught 'just standing around'.

Audra needn't have worried for the moment Nick walked in and looked around he could tell how busy she'd been. How could he not when the work he'd assigned her was almost done? At first he was a bit shocked only, as he thought on it, Nick didn't know why he was surprised. His mother had told him that Audra had not taken the time to eat lunch. He began walking towards her which caused Audra to stop working and look up. Seeing Nick in the barn, and heading her way, Audra quit working and stood as tall and straight as she could. She didn't know what he wanted, only past experiences with men in general made it so she automatically put up her guard.

Nick inwardly sighed. He'd seen her stiffen and had no trouble figuring out why. He made sure he stopped a good five feet away from Audra, not wanting to make her any more nervous than she might be. "When I said you needed to finish this job before you took a break, I wasn't including your lunch time."

Audra relaxed and went back to work. "I'm sorry; I wasn't hungry and figured I might as well get the work done instead of taking any sort of break." Truth was, she'd gone so many years having to skip lunches that it was just habit, though she wasn't about to admit that to him.

"Well, from now on I'd appreciate it if you at least ate a small lunch. Silas doesn't like to see anyone skip a meal and his cooking is worth taking the time to eat. He's saved you some food." He then shook his head and said, "This might be a working ranch, but no one is expected to put their health at risk to get the work done." Nick said as he started to turn around, but stopped himself.

Audra wondered what was wrong as he turned back at her, but she about dropped the rake as he said, "I never expected you to get this job done as soon as it looks like you're going to. You have to be a pretty hard worker to accomplish that. I'll talk to you later." _"I'll make sure of it."_ He thought as he turned and left the stable. He might not be the type to ask any favors, but he'd never said a word about not taking the time to get to know her better. Once he was gone Audra started working on finishing the job in front of her…even if her mind continued to turn to her boss, his brothers and their mother. She sighed without even realizing it. How she wished she had a family like the Barkleys and a place to call home.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Audra stood in front of the dress shop with Victoria and Jarrod. Victoria had found out Audra only had the one dress and insisted on buying her at least one more, along with some better work clothes for around the ranch. _"We can work out the details later." _Those had been Mrs. Barkley's words just that morning…after Audra insisted she needed to pay for the clothing somehow. Since Jarrod needed to do a few things in town, he drove the two women into Stockton. Just as Victoria and Audra were about to go into the shop and Jarrod turned to go to his office, one Mark Hall-the deacon of the church- called out Victoria's name.

"I'll see what he wants." Jarrod nodded towards the door and smiled at Audra. "Go in and get her what she needs." He then started walking towards Deacon Hall while his mother and Audra did as he suggested, though what he really wanted to do was to tell the man to go somewhere else. Jarrod might not have felt that way only Mr. Hill had his nose pretty far up into the air.

"Hello, Deacon Hill." Jarrod said as the "good" man stopped a few feet from him. "Mother is busy; maybe, I can help you. Though, we'll need to talk on the way to my office, or even in it. I have things to get done." He wasn't surprised when the man stiffened before agreeing to talk to Jarrod instead of Victoria.

"So," Jarrod said as the two started walking down the sidewalk towards Jarrod's office, "How may I help you?"

"Well," Deacon Hill slid his hands into his pocket, as way to hide the fact that he kept balling his fists up, "You know we have Reverend Jacobs and his wife visiting this weekend."

Jarrod was fully aware of the Jacobs upcoming visit. He was rather excited about it. The Jacobs were extremely good people who judged no one harshly, said it wasn't their place to judge anyone. It was rather refreshing every time they showed up. "So I've been told," Jarrod answered, taking note how the gentleman next to him seemed like he was the same as a fish out of water at the moment.

"Well, you see," Deacon Hall stammered, "they have told Reverend Stacy that they are considering donating quite a large sum of money to our church."

Jarrod, who had reached his office, turned on the "good" deacon. "Pardon me if I get a rather blunt, only I really don't have a lot of time to waste. Will you just get to the point instead of dragging each and every word you're speaking out?"

Deacon Hall gave a humph and said, "The Jacobs won't make a decision until they have met, and talked, to everyone who attends church on Sunday." He didn't have to say another word as it was Jarrod's turn to stiffen; he knew full well what was coming as some of the "good" people in Stockton had, somehow, learned of Audra's birth status since coming to Stockton, even though he and his family had never said a word.

"Are you trying to ask me to keep Miss Turner away from Sunday services?" Jarrod folded his arms and purposely and gave the deacon a glare that would have scared anyone with a lick of sense to them.

"Look, she's a nice enough young lady I suppose, but, well, if we are to ensure ourselves of getting that donation for our church…" Deacon Hall never got another word out as Jarrod abruptly cut him off.

"And here I thought it was God's church." He wasn't surprised when Deacon Hall's mouth began moving, but nothing came out. "And, as long as I've known the Jacobs they've never turned their nose down at someone because of the sins of their parents. Now, _Mister_ Hall," Jarrod said as his eyes narrowed, "If the very hardworking, honest Miss Turner makes you uncomfortable when she comes to church, maybe you should find another church…one where only perfect people are allowed." Jarrod said as he opened the door to his office and disappeared inside, leaving the "good" deacon standing on the sidewalk looking the same as a five year old child who had just been reprimanded by his parents.

**~oOo~**

Audra, who had changed into the work clothes Mrs. Barkley had bought for her the moment they arrived back at the ranch, was once again working around the stables when Nick and Heath rode in through the gate. Dismounting their horses, they couldn't help but see Audra as disappeared into the stable.

"You still worried we made a mistake in hiring her?" Heath asked as he saw Nick gazing towards the stable with a slight frown on his face.

"Mistake?" Nick turned his head and looked at Heath. How could his brother ask that? In the two weeks that Miss Turner had been on the ranch, she was working just as hard, if not harder, than anyone else they'd ever hired. And, she was proving to be as honest as the day long. Just that morning she'd found Jarrod's wallet outside the door. Since the thing had over five hundred dollars in it, she could have easily taken a few bills, if not all, before returning it. After all, she had found it on the ground and everyone would have just assumed someone else had taken the money. "I never said we made a mistake in the first place." Nick answered as he led Coco towards the stable.

Heath might have wondered why, if Nick wasn't thinking they'd made a mistake for whatever reason, his brother had been frowning only he didn't have time to corner him on the matter. He had other commitments to keep. That being the case, he tied Charger to the fence while he hurried into the house to grab a few things before heading out once more.

While Heath was busy in the house, Nick was inside the stable talking Audra again. "I thought you were told today was your day off. Why are you working instead?" A part of Nick said it shouldn't make a difference if the young lady wanted to work on her day off; she should be able to. The other part reminded himself that no one needed to work twenty four hours a day, seven days a week either.

Audra, who was unaccustomed to having a boss, or anyone for that matter, care about her having anytime for anything but work, automatically became suspicious. "Why shouldn't I be?" She threw the question back at him as she began putting one tool after another up; it wasn't her job to do such a thing, only it needed to be done and gave her something to do, as she was through with the work she'd been given.

Nick would have taken a step towards her only he didn't want her to get the wrong idea; that is, get the wrong idea when it came to his motive for asking. "It's like I told you the other day. There's a time for work and a time to relax. It doesn't seem to me you're doing the latter. You'll work yourself into the ground at this rate."

Audra would have thrown some comment back at him, only she couldn't. She was far too shocked to realize she was hearing sincerity in his voice and seeing it in his eyes. She quickly gathered her wits about her though; she hadn't survived this long by letting others, especially men, see any sign sort of genuine emotion from her...and having such a handsome man like Nick Barkley care whether or not she was working too hard definitely played with those emotions. "I'll be fine."

Nick wasn't totally convinced of that; still, he didn't argue with her. No, he simply found another way to get her to take the day off. and spend more time getting to know her. "My family is going on a picnic within the next hour. We'd appreciate you joining us." He then left the stable before Audra could object. It both infuriated her and filled her with excitement. It had been years since she'd been on a picnic. It just might be fun. She started whistling, as she hurried to finish the job she'd started. She just had to have it done before she joined the Barkleys for the picnic.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

There was a soft wind blowing through the air, as the Barkleys and the half dozen orphans that Victoria invited to the picnic sat on a few blankets eating lunch. One by one the children finished their food and hurried to play in the clearing near the pond.

"It was great idea to bring the children with us." Jarrod looked at his mother and smiled.

"Yea," Heath, who had wound up finishing his business early and joined the picnic, agreed as five year old Anna crawled up on his lap took a hold of his hands, "I think they're enjoying it."

"How about you, Miss Turner?" Victoria smiled at the young woman who had her eyes on the children that were playing in the clearing; she looked at thousand miles away. "Are you enjoying yourself?" She wasn't so sure.

"Oh," Audra, red with embarrassment, admitted she hadn't heard the question. "I had my mind on the children and," she paused and then said quietly, "other things." An uncomfortable silence fell on the family as they could tell whatever Audra meant by other things couldn't have been anything good. However, before any of them could say a word, she was excusing herself to go and play with the children. "It's too beautiful of a day to simply sit around." In no time flat, Audra was laughing and playing with the children. Truth was, Audra figured if she was busy with the children there would be no time for questions, and she was sure questions would come since she'd gotten careless and let herself add the words 'other things' to her response.

Silence reined as each family member watched Audra with the children. That silence as was only broken when Heath spoke. "I think I take too many things for granted."

"What do you mean?" Victoria looked at her blond haired son, the one so much like his father. "I think you know very well what you have, or don't." He had too; Heath was always showing gratitude. "We all do."

"Do we?" Heath asked, as he recalled the few talks he'd had with the young woman since she'd come to the ranch. Upon hearing his brother's words, Nick's mind went back to the day before when he'd walked into the barn to see Audra mending a bridle.

_ Audra looked up from where she was working to see a very astonished look upon Nick Barkley's face. Even though she figured she knew what put it there, she still decided to have some fun with it. "What's the matter? Haven't you seen anyone fix a bridle before?"_

_She couldn't help but chuckle as Nick went red in the face and snapped, "Of course, I have! I just didn't expect a…." he stopped himself just in time, actually realizing beforehand what had almost come out of his mouth was very judgmental, "I just didn't expect to see you fixing one."_

_Audra, who knew she had started it, made herself count to ten as she figured the man had been on the verge of saying something about her past history in the saloons. "Mr. Hansen figured if he was gonna have me hanging around the livery stable, I might as well learn." She told him as she went back to work on the bridle. After all awhile he paid me what little he could for doing it. He was gonna pay me more; pay me enough to get my mama out of Uncle Keith's' saloon." She sighed and said, "I could have kept workin' for him only he died." Audra stopped talking, as she fought the emotion that wanted to roll out of her and forced herself to get control of herself. "Never had much," she said as she finished with the bridle, "but Mr. Hansen was right; we had what we needed, mama and me. We had each other and our faith, along with a couple of good friends in spite of the rest of the town."_

"Nick?" Victoria had seen a trouble look appear in his eyes and became worried that, perhaps, he knew something they all should.

"Sorry, mother," Nick stood up, "my mind was wandering. Think I'll go join in the games. I mean, how hard can it be to win Tag against a few children?" He then took off before she could say a word. His family looked at each other, all silently thinking the same thing._Nick's using this time as a chaperoned 'date' with Audra._However, Victoria and his brothers about died from laughter at the thought of Nick trying to win a game of tag against any group of children. No, before he could run, they'd all get him down on the ground (with the help of Audra) and win; they were sure of that one.

Once the children saw Nick coming towards them they all let out a whoop and holler. Having Audra join them had delighted them, but to see the loud, dark haired rancher joining them as well was even better. Soon they were all over him and Audra was laughing; something she hadn't done in a long time.

"Thanks!" Nick laughed as he pried yet another child off his leg. "The idea is to tag someone after the game starts, not before."

"Who says it hasn't started?" Audra said, as she caught him off guard and tagged him and then ran, holding the hand of one of the children, in the opposite direction. Naturally, the children started laughing hard, and running even harder as Nick started chasing them down. By the end of the game, he and Audra were more than ready to go, as were his family. Naturally, the children did not; still, they went without too much complaint.

"Here you go!" Nick said as they reached the wagon and he began to help the children up into the wagon. He would have helped Audra, only Jarrod had beaten him to it.

"Thanks, Mr. Barkley." Audra said as she smiled at Jarrod.

"I told you, it's simply Jarrod." Jarrod pointed to his brothers, "Too many of us to simply say Mister and a last name." He then stepped aside and let Nick climb up into the driver's seat. He had to; Jarrod was going to be driving the other wagon they'd bought out with them.

Only when they were on the road did Nick turn his head and glance at Audra. He'd enjoyed the time he'd spent with her even if they'd had plenty of chaperones. Now, with the family picnic behind them, Nick began going over one way and another that he could get some more time to get to know her better.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

"Are you serious?" Heath and Jarrod stared at Nick, who had walked into the dining room, sat down for breakfast and just told them that Audra and he would be fixing fence lines that morning, something he'd talked about doing, but never had.

"Very serious," Nick answered, as he began piling some ham onto his plate, along with some pancakes. He began explaining how he wanted to get to know Audra better, but he couldn't simply ask her out. "I told her 'the boss' as she put it, wasn't going to ask any favors. If I ask her to do anything but work alongside me, she might see it as asking favors." He didn't want that. Besides, he'd seen his mother and Audra fixing some of the fence that stood roughly fifty feet behind the house. If she could do that, she could help him with some of the other fences on the ranch. And, as if to ward of any questions about what the men would think, Nick added, "When she first arrived, the men were told she'd be doing a number of things, which included working with me at times. As long as we don't take her on cattle drives or ask her to break horses," he snapped, "they won't think anything of it." He looked at his brothers and said, with a look that dared them to deny it, "She has worked with me on a couple of occasions since then. Okay, not for the whole morning only she has."

Jarrod shook his head and chuckled. However, Heath only smiled to be polite. He didn't like the idea that Nick was beginning to be interested in Audra, but he didn't know why. Hadn't he, in secret, sent off a couple of telegrams? Hadn't they all said the same thing? Audra Turner wasn't hiding any secrets. Also, it wasn't like Audra was turning out to be some stupid blond, air headed or anything that would be a major deterrent. No, when it came to physical beauty and a clear mind, Audra Turner had them both. Yet, Heath sighed. He wished he knew why he felt any relationship between Audra and Nick would only to heartache.

Nick heard the sigh and misunderstood it. "What?" He snapped. You know I won't take advantage of her or push her. And, she's already proving what kind of lady she is." He'd seen more than one ranch hand try to flirt with her like they would the waitresses in the saloon and Audra Turner had planted her feet and put them in their place. "And don't tell me there's almost ten years between us; I already know that." He then asked, due to his comment about Audra acting the part of a lady, asked, "Do I also need to remind you how she handled herself on Sunday, during and after the sermon?"

Heath couldn't help but give Nick a crooked smile when he remembered how Deacon Hall stood in the corner of the chapel looking rather nervous as their guests visited with Audra…and how foolish he proved to be after their guests praised Audra. She had been rather blunt with the answers she gave in response to their questions, for having it in her to rise above her circumstances when given the chance. "Still can't believe you're going to ask her to help you mend fences." Heath shook his head while Jarrod simply chuckled again.

Nick only laughed, finished his breakfast and then left the room telling Heath he didn't have to believe anything as long as he didn't interfere.

**~oOo~**

The sun beat down upon the ranch as Audra held the fence post while Nick secured it with the barbwire they'd brought with them. They had been at it for three hours and, after they had this part down, Nick was going to insist they sit in the shade and eat the lunch Silas had packed for them. Of course, he'd make sure there was an acceptable distance between them. "I should have hired you years ago." Nick grinned as he and Audra stepped away from the fence.

Audra couldn't help but laugh. How could she not when all she could see was a small child dragging a homemade doll in one hand and a hammer in the other. "I don't think I would have been much help to you back then." She told him as he retrieved the lunches out of his saddle bag; he'd tethered Coco to a tree, and in the shade, before he and Audra had started work.

"Maybe not," Nick grinned, as he handed her the lunch and then headed for some shade. "Still might have been interesting to watch." He sat down under the shade of a tree, but and waited to make sure Audra also took refuge under cover. She did; however, she wasn't exactly sitting very close to him.

Nick, still wary of Audra getting the wrong impression, kept any talk between them light. For her part, Audra was pleasantly surprised to find herself talking freely and openly with Nick. She'd never free to talk to anyone like this before, and it felt good. Only when she mentioned her uncle, did Nick feel free to ask any questions that would enlighten him when it came to her past. "He never helped you or your mother at all?" That part astounded him. If his brothers had a child and were raising that child by themselves, Nick knew he'd do anything he could to help them.

"Nope," Audra took the last bite of her sandwich and scowled, "Once he found out that she was going to have to quit teaching school because she had conceived a child out of wedlock, he would never so much as call her sister…which tells you how often he claimed to be my uncle. Oh," She leaned against the tree and looked up at the sky, "Everyone knew he was, but they never spoke of it. If they did, he'd practically bite their heads off and then give them both barrels on the matter."

Nick might not like a child being sired out of wedlock, only it happened and, last time he checked, it took two to make it happen. "Then it was your Uncle that lost out on a lot." The words were out of his mouth before he thought about them. Though he, due to the surprised look on Audra's face; hurried to change the subject.

While he succeeded in changing subjects, Audra had seen the fleeting look that appeared in Nick's eyes and it shook her up. She'd seen it many times in other men's eyes. No, as she thought on it, Audra realized she was wrong. The look she'd seen in Nick's eyes wasn't like the others. The other men had nothing but pure lust attached to 'that look', but Nick, when he'd looked at her 'like that' had no such thing accompanying it. If anything, the only thing she'd seen was a man who truly meant what he said and she didn't know what to make of that one. That's what shook her up.

"Thank you." Audra said as she stood up. She had to get to work or she'd have to face the feelings that were stirring inside of her, ones she desperately wanted to ignore.

Nick kicked himself as he too stood up. He had not meant to let anything of any sort slip out, even if it was a compliment, as he still feared driving Audra away from the ranch if he did. "Let's get the rest of this fence fixed before supper. That is, if we can." He spoke abruptly and headed for the fence.

In spite of how abruptly he'd spoken, Audra couldn't help but smile._ "Just do your work, girl. You'll be fine." _She thought as she too went back to work.


	11. Chapter 11

**hapter Eleven**

Audra was sitting in the kitchen looking out the window when Victoria walked in looking for Silas. However, any thought of talking to Silas left when she saw the troubled look upon Audra's face. Victoria was once again getting a feeling, a feeling that said something was right in front of her face, even if she couldn't see it. Still, for the sake of the young woman, she didn't dwell on it and determined to help her if she could. "Want to talk about it?" She asked as she joined Audra at the table.

Audra pondered the question for a few minutes before turning her face away from the window and looked at Mrs. Barkley. In the time she'd been on the ranch Audra had learned one thing…no one told Mrs. Barkley what to do and none crossed her. Well, that is, anyone that crossed her felt the woman's wrath. "I helped Nick with the fence lines again today, suppose to help him with another section tomorrow." Over the past few months fixing fences lines with Nick had become habit.

Victoria frowned slightly and asked, "Does it bother you?" If it did, Victoria couldn't help but wonder if Nick had said or done something wrong. Audra seemed to know it too.

"Nick didn't do anything wrong, ma'am if that's what you're wondering. In fact, I rather like working with him." Audra let out a sigh afterwards and glanced down at the table. Truth was, over the past few months, not only had she become friends with Heath, Jarrod and Eugene, but Nick as well. In fact, when it came to Nick, she was beginning to look at him in a new light, and she couldn't imagine a day without him around.

"Please, it's Victoria, not ma'am. Now, what is wrong?" Victoria was puzzled and she didn't like the feeling at all.

Audra fidgeted, stood up and then walked to the window. How was she supposed to tell Mrs. Barkley the feelings that had came over her when Nick had, basically, complimented her and her mother…even if he'd never met the woman? How was she supposed to explain that that feeling had continued to come to her now and then? Then there was the matter of what she'd seen in his eyes time and time again, even if it wasn't for more than a split second every time. It had only intensified the mixed up feelings inside. More importantly, what did she do with those feelings? She dared not act upon them. How could she? Nick Barkley was her boss for goodness sake! Besides, all the men who had ever been interested in her were the men who were only looking for someone to keep their bed warm for a night, maybe two. Could Nick Barkley actually be looking at her with a sincere interest?

"Audra?" Victoria, didn't like the prolonged silence, so stood up and joined the young woman. "What is it?"

Audra turned and looked at Victoria, gathering her courage, asked, "What would you say if I told; well," she rubbed her hands together and forced herself to ask, "if I told you I think I'm falling in love with him?" Audra wasn't surprised when Victoria's eyes widened. She found herself holding her breath until Victoria, who had heard all about 'the dates' that Nick was making sure he had with Audra from Heath and Jarrod, started chuckling and put her hand on Audra's arm.

"I would say not to worry about it so much." Victoria told her. "I know for a fact that you've caught Nick's eye, only he's afraid."

Afraid? Audra felt as if literal shock waves were rolling through her. From what she could see nothing scared the man everyone called Nick Barkley. "Of what!" she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

A smile as wide as any pond on their land appeared on Victoria's face as she replied, "You. From what Heath said, Nick is afraid you'll think he's breaking his word if he asks you to do something besides work with him." Okay, as far as Victoria was concerned, deep inside, Nick wanted to know that whoever he married would be able to carry their share of the load. That is, the workload the ranch required to be a success.

"Me?" Audra was amazed. No one had ever been afraid of her before, judgmental of her, yes; afraid, no.

"Yes, you," Victoria answered, "Men are generally afraid of crossing the women they at least care about to a degree." She chuckled again as she remembered her late husband.

"Where is Nick now?" Audra asked.

"As far as I know he's out in the barn, something about some horseshoes needing fixing," Victoria answered. She wasn't surprised when Audra excused herself, saying she was going outside. However, Victoria laughed when Audra walked out the kitchen door, promising she'd be careful not to scare Nick again.

"Well," Victoria spoke to no one but herself once Audra was out of the room, "maybe I'll be getting a daughter in law someday." The moment she said the words she was shocked beyond measure to have an extreme wave of panic roll over her. In fact, it was so strong she had to pull out a chair and had to sit down. As she did Jarrod's words from a conversation she'd had with him shortly after Audra's arrival come back to her.

"_I told you," Jarrod said as he stood by the study window looking out at Audra and Nick working together, "there's something about Audra Turner that Heath and I can't put our fingers on. Oh, nothing bad," he hurried on to say as a worried look came upon his mother's face, "just something that says we should know more than we do. Don't ask me to explain it; I can't. And, before you ask, Heath admitted to me that he sent out more than one telegram and turned up nothing. I don't even know why we keep thinking about it; she's a good one." He knew that to be true. Hadn't he'd had plenty of long, insightful conversations with the young woman and found her to be nothing but delightful? It was no wonder Nick liked her._

After collecting herself, and thinking about it, Victoria was shocked beyond measure to realize that she had had this same feeling, to a far much lesser degree, anytime Nick had even taken the smallest look at Audra. Why it had not bothered her enough to start wondering about Audra's actual background more, in spite of what Jarrod had said, she didn't know. Only now the question she had was…why? As she asked the question, she got the horrible feeling she should have been asking questions and investigated things earlier. With that admission, she stood up and headed for the study. Right or wrong, she was going to ask Jarrod to do some of that investigating, investigating that entailed more than sending out a few telegrams. Though, as she did so, Victoria prayed like mad she was doing the right thing.

**~oOo~**

"Nick?" Audra called out as she entered the barn, hoping the dark haired rancher was still in the barn. She was delighted to see Nick standing at the table where the anvil was mounted, working on a horseshoe and pounding it into shape.

Nick, who had been working, stopped the moment he heard the door open and Audra calling out his name. "What can I do for you?" He put the mallet he'd been using down.

Nick, who had been working, stopped the moment he heard the door open and Audra calling out his name. "What can I do for you?" He put the sledgehammer he'd been using down.

Audra had been thinking ever since she left kitchen. She wanted to know if she'd been seeing things, wanted to know if Mrs. Barkley was right, but she didn't want to be seen as pushing herself on Nick either…especially if she and his mother were wrong. There had to be a way to find out without being too forward.

When she did not answer right away, Nick grew concerned. "What is it?" He stepped away from the table.

She didn't know what made her think of it, only Audra smiled and asked slowly, "Will you teach me how to shoot a gun, rifle or pistol? It doesn't matter which. I mean, you commented today that you thought everyone should know how to handle one." So, he'd made the comment after she admitted she'd never handled one.

Nick felt his heart skip a beat. He'd been trying and trying to think of a way to get together with Audra; that is, a way that didn't include mending fences and doing other chores. He smiled and replied, "Sure I will. We can ride out to a spot I know of, a spot I use when I'm doing a bit of target practice. Let's go."

"Now?" Audra was pleasantly surprised to hear him offer to do it right at that moment only, she hadn't expected it.

"Why not?" Nick smiled again and headed for the barn down; Audra followed with a grin a mile wide upon her face. She was going to enjoy her lesson or lessons.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Audra and Nick, who had ridden roughly five miles away from the house, laughed as Audra finally shot one of the targets Nick had set up for her, only watch a jackrabbit fly through the air and dart off in a southerly direction. "I…I guess we k…know where the term scared jackrabbit c…comes from!" Audra managed to say as she was holding her sides; it hurt that bad.

Nick nodded his head and agreed. When he got his own laughter under control, he said, "Enough lessons for right now." He took the pistol from Audra, replaced the bullets and then put the gun back in his holster. He then walked over to Coco; he'd tethered his horse to a nearby tree, and pulled out some jerky for both of them. He would have had a more lunch made for them only she'd caught him off guard when she asked for the lessons, and he hadn't thought about food until it was too late. "We need to take a break."

As they sat down to relax and eat what little food he had with them, Nick began going over the conversation they'd had on the way out to the spot he'd chosen to start her lessons in his mind.

_"I want to apologize, Nick." Audra looked at Nick as they pushed their horses down the road. "_

_ "Apologize? For what?" Nick looked at her in confusion. He could think of nothing that Miss Turner had did that should require her to do that._

_ "When you made the job offer, I assumed things. So the men in my life haven't exactly been the honest type," Audra shrugged her shoulders, "It doesn't mean I had to assume things and question your integrity the way I did." _

_ Nick had no clue as to what she was talking about until he remembered her question to him, the one where she asked if he'd be expecting favors. "Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have been so appalled by your question. I mean, I knew nothing of your past. Would I be out of line in asking you to tell me more about yourself?" _

Nick had asked the question, and Audra had began telling him everything. Now, sitting in the shade of the tree, Audra continued talking_._ "Are you sure you want me to continue?" Audra asked, amazed that, yes, Nick Barkley was very interested in her and not just for entertainment purposes.

"Yes, I am very sure." Nick smiled kindly, never taking his eyes off her.

Audra blushed as, once again, she realized he was not looking at her like the men she'd served in the saloon. "My mother started teaching school in Strawberry when she was sixteen, but she had friends from all walks of life. Her best-friend was a woman by the name of Teresa. Uncle Keith didn't like that either, mama used to tell me how Uncle Keith used to try and tell her not to be friends with 'that waitress', but mama didn't listen." Audra sighed and told Nick, "It was Teresa who took my mother under her wing nine years later, once it came out that mama was expecting me." Audra went on to tell him how, thanks to her uncle's thieving ways, she and her mother never had much. "Mama was sure if my Aunt Eliza had been still alive when I was conceived things would have been very different, but she wasn't. She'd died the year before in childbirth; the baby died too. Maybe, in all honesty, that was a huge part of Uncle's Keith's problem. Mama had a baby, and he had nothing to show for the time he'd had with her sister-in-law."

Nick shook his head. He'd seen cases that like over the years, cases where someone suffered because of another's inability to cope with what life gave them. He went to say something else, only Audra had stood up and walked over to a nearby tree. He got up and followed her. "What are you thinking about?" He asked stopping behind her, wanting to wrap his arms around her, but not daring to.

Audra sighed and let out a soft, sad chuckle. "Mama had hoped I'd be working as a laundry assistant when I was sixteen, maybe even have a beau. "I wonder how disappointed she would be if she knew I turned sixteen in a saloon, even if I never let any of the men so much as kiss me in all the time I worked in them."

Shocked to hear that Audra thought her mother would be disappointed in her, and that she'd never been kissed by any of the men who had frequented either the Strawberry or Rockville saloons, Nick reached out and turned Audra around. Keeping his hands on her shoulders, he said in a voice quieter than he'd used in a long time, "I can't imagine her being disappointed in you. I mean, anyone who can work in a saloon for four years and not allow themselves to be kissed has got to have some pretty high standards."

Audra blushed and then, hesitantly, asked quietly, "When someone hasn't allowed anyone in a saloon to kiss her, asks her boss if he's going to be expecting any favors and then, later, turns around and finds that they want to ask that same boss a favor, what would you think of them?"

Nick's heart skipped a beat as he could, by the way she was looking at him, tell what she was in directly asking him. He smiled at Audra. "I'd say they were human and still very much a lady." Nick answered as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close while lowering his head, savoring the taste of her lips. After a few minutes, the two pulled apart. "I think we best get back to the lessons." Nick smiled at Audra and nodded towards the targets, though secretly he began going over a list of businesses in town who might hire Audra. He had to. After that kiss he knew he wanted to court her openly, and he couldn't do that if she was working for him or his mother.

**~oOo~**

"What does mother think you'll find?" Heath asked as Jarrod slid his foot into stirrup of his saddle and, holding onto the horn of his saddle, swung himself up and onto Jingo's back.

The fact that Heath was nervous about what Jarrod might find was something his blond haired brother wasn't even attempting to hide. "I don't know. However, when I told her I'd have to go to Strawberry to find anything out about Audra as that was her home town, she went more than a bit pale." Jarrod leaned forward and looked at Heath. "Don't ask me why either; she wouldn't say. Between you and I, I am feeling more than a bit anxious. Now," he turned Jingo around, "The sooner I leave, the sooner I can get back."

Heath said nothing as Jarrod rode away…all the time praying that whatever the man found wasn't something more than the family could handle.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Nick, who had dropped Eugene off at the train station, arrived home just in time to hear Heath ask Victoria if it was really necessary to send Jarrod on a small trip to Strawberry investigate Audra's past. "Any questions you had could have been answered by a telegram…to wherever you felt the need to send it." Heath said just as he realized Nick was standing in shock. A pin could have could have been dropped on the floor and heard throughout the house as Nick walked from the day way into the living room. "Jarrod's gone to do what!" Nick exploded not believing what he'd just heard.

Victoria sat as straight and tall as she could before answering her hot tempered son. "Nick, I didn't ask Jarrod to do this to cause Miss Turner any trouble or because I think she can't be trusted. I…" Before she could explain her son exploded again.

"Then why!" Nick stood with his hands by his sides. He was furious at the idea that any member of his family had gone behind his back to investigate the young lady who was growing on him more each day.

Victoria stood up and took a step towards Nick, hurt slightly when he took a step backwards. "By herself, I have no quarrel with Audra Turner. And," Victoria talked slow, making sure to choose the words she thought would have the least chance of sending the wrong message, "when I first realized you might be interested in her, I got excited. I mean, she's a hard worker and, from what I can see, a very honest person in spite of her past association with the saloons."

Nick folded his arms. His change of stance told his mother her son was on the defensive and the words that came out of his mouth reaffirmed that idea. "So what have we done to make it so you feel such a need to go behind our backs and have her investigated? If you felt the need to know about her past, why not just ask your questions to her?" He couldn't understand her reasoning on that one. "She'd have answered them." After the long talk he'd had with Audra while out riding and the talk they'd had while they were eating and after they'd kissed, Nick was sure of she'd have talked to his mother too.

Victoria explained what happened in the kitchen after Audra had left. However, she didn't say a word about her talk with Jarrod afterwards, the talk where she learned exactly where Audra was from. If she did that, he'd have demanded to know everything right then and there. Since she only now suspected there might be a connection between them and the young girl, why say anything about it? After all, it was only a suspicion on her part; she had no solid evidence of that fact yet. "Son," she said in a tone that begged him to listen to what she did have to say, "I don't for sure why I keep getting a feeling of panic only I do. How could I tell you? Audra was already taking your time and then, later, when I went out to talk to you the two of you had already left." Victoria, who had hoped that Jarrod would be back with something, anything, before Nick found out what she'd requested was now left to face a son who was no longer in the festive mood that he'd been in when he'd arrive home. When he turned to leave, Victoria tried to stop him. "Nick, where are you going? It's almost time for supper."

Nick shook his head and glared at his mother, "I'm not hungry; I'll eat later." He snapped and stormed out of the house, leaving Heath to assure Victoria that things would work out somehow. At least, he hoped they would.

**~oOo~**

Audra knew something was wrong the moment she stepped out of the kitchen carrying the food Silas had given her and saw Nick's empty chair. "He said he wasn't hungry."Victoria looked at Audra's questioning eyes.

"Something's wrong. Please, excuse me." Audra hurried out of the dining room before Victoria or Heath could say a word, leaving Victoria wishing she had simply sat down with Audra and did as Nick had said and asked the young woman the many questions she had.

Once outside Audra looked by the corral and then moved onto the barn. When she didn't find Nick in either place, she headed for the stable only to be stopped by one of the new cowhands. "Why hello there," the lanky twenty four year old Timothy Johnson, who had been drinking, smiled at Audra. "You're just as pretty as everyone says you are." He took a step towards her.

"I am looking for Nick Barkley; do you know where he is?" She asked, automatically readying herself for a fight if necessary. That part, the fact that she was a better fighter than many men was something she did not talk about. Why should she? It would only attract men like the one before her, and she didn't want that.

"Well, now, won't I do?" He reached out to grab Audra only to hear the sound of boots behind him. Before he knew it, Timothy found Nick Barkley throwing him to the ground.

"I told you when I hired you that we had a female hand working here and that, if you so much as tried to touch her, you'd be fired!" Nick bellowed as Timothy scrambled to his feet. "Now go to McColl! Get what little pay you have coming and then get off my land!" Timothy stammered an apology and headed for the bunkhouse.

"What are you doing out here?" Nick asked; the concern he felt could be seen in his eyes_. "So help me if mother has said something,"_ Nick thought right after he asked the question.

"I want to know what's wrong. I mean, even with our picnic, you've had a long day. You should be hungrier than a horse." Audra told him.

Nick smiled. It was good to know Audra was worried enough about him to come and check on him when he wasn't at the table. Of course, as he thought on the reason he wasn't eating supper, his smile shrank. He took a hold of Audra's hand and began walking around the perimeter of the house. "I don't want you to worry about it for now."

"But…" Audra started to object only to have Nick stop walking, turn to face her and put his fingers to her lips.

"No buts about it," Nick smiled kindly as he pulled her to him and kissed her and then said, "For now, let's just enjoy our walk and then, for your sake, I'll eat something. Trust me."

Audra still didn't like it only she accepted it. What else could she do; after all, she did trust the man called Nick Barkley.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

The sun had only been up for a couple of hours as Jarrod rode into Strawberry. He would have thought the old mining town was no longer inhabited, only just as he thought that, a couple of men walked out of the saloon. Since he could see the livery stable was no longer in use, hard not to see it with one door off its hinges and the other one barely hanging on, he rode towards the saloon. He had to shake his head at all the empty stores that stood along the street looking as if they'd be better off knocked down. Once he reached the establishment, Jarrod looked up and saw the words "TURNER SALOON" on a sign above the door. This was it, the place Audra said she had first became a saloon waitress. Jarrod dismounted his horse and tethered it to one of the posts that stood in front of the saloon. Climbing up the few steps that sat in front, Jarrod soon stood in front of two brown swinging doors that had more peeling paint than he cared to see on any door. Someone needed to paint them. Pushing the doors open, he stepped inside.

Jarrod could tell the place was on its last legs as the walls looked as poorly as the doors did when it came to paint. Jarrod looked across the room and saw a graying haired gentleman sitting in the corner of the room. His head was tilted back and he was snoring quite loudly. A bottle half full of whiskey sat on the table in front of him. The only other two people in the place was a black haired gentleman who looked to be in his late thirties; he sat at a table that sat against the wall to Jarrod's left and a woman, dressed in the attire a saloon waitress would wear, standing next to him. Jarrod figured she was also in her late thirties; she had to be Teresa. He was proven right when the woman left what had been her only customer and walked towards him smiling.

"Hello there stranger, I'm Teresa. What can I get for you?"

"I'd like a drink and to talk to you." Jarrod answered politely. He wasn't surprised when she laughed and told him he'd have to buy a drink for to get her to do that. Soon they were sitting at a table near the front window, and she was pouring him a drink. Though, he only sipped at it.

"So, stranger, what exactly what's on your mind. And," she said as she gestured towards his still pretty much full glass, "Don't say you want a drink again. It's obvious you never wanted the first one." Her eyes were full of suspicion as she made the observation.

Jarrod took a deep breath. "There's a young lady working for my mother and brother." He answered, deciding against saying any actual names just in case he'd been told wrong about Teresa. After all, he wanted confirmation for what he'd been told in the hotel, not to be thrown out before he had a chance to hear what this Teresa would tell him. "She seems to be quite alone in the world except for one relative she says she has no use for. She has told my brother she was raised here in Strawberry, said she worked here with one; Teresa."

Teresa's eyes narrowed. "I'm Teresa, and I'm guessing you want to get confirmation of what you've been told." Teresa spoke up when Jarrod fell silent.

Somehow, due to how old the woman looked to be, Jarrod wasn't surprised to hear he was talking with Miss Turner's former co-worker. He nodded. "Call me an overprotective son and brother." He lifted his glass and smiled before taking a swallow of the liquid it held.

"Well, I know, or knew, most everyone in this town at one time and worked with more than one girl. Who does the young lady claim to be?" Teresa leaded back in the chair and folded her arms.

"Audra Turner," Jarrod answered. He watched as Teresa's eyes flew open and she sat straight up. Though, his curiosity was aroused when Teresa looked in the direction of the man snoring in the corner with a bit of fear in her eyes. Though, when he thought on it, Jarrod figured he knew who the gentleman was. "Don't tell me," he lowered his voice, "Good ole Uncle Keith?"

Teresa looked like she was going to throw up. "Good isn't the word most of us would use when it comes to that man, mister." Teresa didn't try to hide the disgust in her voice. She then stood up, "Sir, Audra Turner is as good and honest as the day is long. She's a hard worker and has morals in spite of being raised around a place like this. Her mother made a mistake and had to pay for it by raising her without a father."

Being curious, Jarrod said, "Audra said her mother never told you who Audra's father was?"

"Mister, no one here at the saloon knew, and you can blame that man," Teresa nodded towards Keith, "for that. Rose was terrified of what he'd do if he found out who the father was. So, naturally, she said nothing. I did see the man a couple of times and caught the first name of Tom, but for Rose's sake, I never pressured her to tell me his full name. Though," she smiled, "He was quite handsome with that blond hair of his and blue eyes. Just do us, Audra and me that is, a favor."

"What is that?" Jarrod asked, not surprised to hear Audra had inherited some of her father's features.

"Leave here without talking to her uncle." Teresa made no attempt hide her hatred of Keith Turner as she turned her head and looked in his direction, then looked back at Jarrod. "He doesn't know where she went after she left Rockville; no one would tell him. She's better off him not knowing." She stood up, started to walk away and turned back to face Jarrod, "I don't know why I'm telling you this, only if anyone knows who her father is it would be Levi Cooper. He's the hotel owner. He was one of the few who truly befriended Rose after she conceived a child out of wedlock."

"Thanks," Jarrod stood up, gave her a generous tip and walked out the door. Just as he stepped outside it he went pale when the force of Teresa's words hit him full force, along with the realization that he had thought it coincidence that Heath and Audra shared blond hair and blue eyes. Could what his mind was now telling him be true? Could Tom Barkley, who had owned shares in the Strawberry mines at one time, have had an affair with Rose Turner and fathered Audra? Jarrod felt sick to his stomach as he hurried toward the hotel. He was going to talk to Levi Cooper, even if he found himself having to wait to do it.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Levi Cooper, sole owner and proprietor of the hotel, was sweeping the front steps to his establishment, when he looked up at the sound of someone approaching him. He didn't make any effort to hide his surprise; he so seldom saw anyone in Strawberry anymore Levi couldn't see any reason trying to hide it. "Hello, stranger," Levi smiled as Jarrod stopped in front of the hotel. "May I help you?"

"If you are Levi Cooper, you can." Jarrod looked around the town. "I'm looking for some information, and Teresa at the saloon said you might be able to give it to me."

Levi frowned slightly. He wasn't sure whether or not liked the sounds of that; still, he nodded towards the hotel behind him. "Let's go inside. If we're going to be talking for any length of time, we might as well be comfortable." He turned around and opened the hotel door; Jarrod followed the gentleman as he went inside.

As they entered, Jarrod looked around. On his right was a couch that sat against the wall with a rather bland picture that hung above it. Off to his left sat a table and two chairs. There was a circular rug that lay in the middle of the room. Over all, the room was rather plain looking and uninviting. Still, from everything Jarrod see, the room was still well kept and clean.

"So," Levi pulled out one of the two chairs and sat down at the table. "Exactly who are you and what do you want?" Levi was fully aware he was talking in a neutral tone of voice and being rather blunt. However, he didn't care, as he was always leery about strangers who were seeking information of any kind.

Jarrod sat down on the other chair and replied. "My name is Jarrod." He went to give his last name only to be surprised when he got the strongest impression not to. That being the case, he simply left it off and continued, "I was wondering what you could tell me about a young woman by the name of Audra Turner and her mother, Rose."

Levi leaned forward and barked angrily while shaking his finger at Jarrod, "Rose had, and Audra has, enough trouble in her lifetime without some stranger coming around here asking questions! Unless you have an extremely good reason for your questions, I'm not sayin' a thing!"

Jarrod, who had recovered from the initial shock he'd received at the saloon replied, "I'm an attorney and I'm not at liberty to say exactly why I'm asking for the information. However," He stressed the word however, only because the gentleman stiffened and looked as if he'd explode again, "I can promise you it's not so anyone can make any trouble for Audra Turner. She has done absolutely nothing wrong." He was relieved when he saw the gentleman relax.

"That's good because the poor child doesn't need it." Levi always called anyone that was over twenty years younger than him child.

"So," Jarrod pressed the man when he did not continue, "What can you tell me about her and her mother?"

Levi stood up and walked to a window that one could stand by and see the saloon from. Keeping one eye on the saloon and one eye on Jarrod, he began talking. "Audra's a good one like her mother, in spite of what that rotten uncle of hers would tell you if you were talking to him." Levi turned and leaned his back against the wall. "Rose and Audra would come and do some cleaning here; that is, if my regular help wasn't available." He went on to praise Rose for the job she'd done in raising Audra in spite of the fact that she was waiting tables in a saloon. "It's amazing she did such a good job in that environment."

"This used to be quite the thriving town. There was no other work for them to do?" Jarrod only asked that out of his own curiosity, not because he thought he'd get any information that would enlighten him from it. Once again, he was to be shocked beyond measure to find out different.

"Mister," Levi scowled as he looked back out the window, "this town, like many others, was very unforgiving. Miss Rose, she used to be a schoolteacher, very fine one too. Only she's very human and, that being the case, she made a mistake. She fell in love with the wrong man and conceived Audra. That cost her that job and, as if he had the right to play God and punish his sister, Keith Turner did all he could to make their lives a living nightmare." He scowled as he explained just why Rose started waiting tables in a saloon and why, later, Audra had done the same thing. He then added, "I wanted to go after Audra's father and beat him to a pulp for leaving Rose with child the way he did, only Rose wouldn't let me, said he was a good man and would want to take responsibility of raising Audra only," he shook his head, "that would mean that Rose would lose her. You see," he paused for a moment, a look in his eyes that said 'should I really tell him what I know', and then shrugged his shoulders as he continued, "Tom Barkley was already married with a family of his own, and I doubt his wife would have appreciated it if he brought another woman onto his ranch."

Jarrod, who had had his chin resting on his right hand, had what felt like literal shock waves roll through him as his hand dropped and hit the side of the chair rather hard as his eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat. "D…did you just say Tom Barkley?" He knew it was a stupid question only he just had to ask it so great was his shock, in spite of what his head had been saying since he had left the saloon. He guessed it was because a good portion of him had been telling him he mustn't have been adding things up right and Mr. Cooper would prove it.

"You heard me right." Levi, disgusted at the past events, snapped harsher than he meant too. "The great Tom Barkley of Stockton!" He threw his hands up in the air, "He was a good enough man in a lot of ways and did a lot of good for the valley, I will freely admit. It's just to do what he did and then just walk away, without checking to see if a child had been conceived because of his actions? There's no excuse for that one!" He lowered his voice and said quietly, "Truth be told, talkative mouths are the main reason Rose did not repeat Tom's last name to the majority of people who didn't take time to find out themselves. She figured if they didn't know it, what with him having an interest in the mines around here, they didn't need to be told it. Besides, if she freely admitted Mr. Barkley was Audra's father, she feared he'd catch wind of it and come and take her daughter away from her." The man then excused himself saying that if Jarrod wanted to hear anything else it would have to wait…as Levi was too upset now to do anymore talking.

Jarrod didn't argue as Levi left the room. He couldn't; he was far too sick to his stomach too and his thoughts were far too jumbled too think of anything to ask the man anyway. No, all he could think was 'How on earth do I tell mother that father was unfaithful to her? Worse yet, how do I tell Nick that he's fallen in love with our half-sister? "Oh father," Jarrod whispered quietly, "How could you do such a thing?" Of course, he received no reply as he sat in the very much empty foyer of the Strawberry Hotel trying to decide just how he was going to tell his mother about his father's affair….and just how he was going to break the news to Nick.

~oOo~

There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and just the tiniest of breeze, as Nick and Audra, who had once again taken a ride once any mandatory obligations had been taken care of, leaned against a log that sat near the pond they'd ridden too. Actually, Audra was sitting on the ground, leaning back into Nick's embrace, her head on the front of his shoulder. He had his arms wrapped around and was holding her arms, which were folded, as well.

"Your mother didn't want us to go riding or to come on this picnic. What have I done to make it so she's turned on me?" Audra broke the silence that had been hanging between them. Nick could hear a touch of sadness in Audra's voice, along with confusion. Not knowing what Victoria had done, or why, Audra had been left to wonder what she'd done so wrong that the Barkley matriarch would all of a sudden not want her and Nick to be spending time together.

For his part, Nick knew he had to be honest with Audra. However, he knew what it would do to her and he just hated it. "You haven't done anything." Nick assured her as he held her closer and kissed the side of her forehead. "It's just…" he paused struggling to find the words he wanted. "It's just that once in awhile she gets feelings she can't explain and, as far as I'm concerned, it makes her act a bit out of character." Anyway, it was the only thing that Nick could think of that made any sense to him.

"What feelings?" Audra turned so as to be leaning her side against him and looked up at him. The look in her eyes, one full of hurt, tore at Nick's heart. It made him even more furious at his mother's actions.

"Feelings that, for whatever reason, we shouldn't be seeing each other like this," Nick answered slowly and then shocked Audra by telling her what Victoria had done and where his oldest brother had gone. Audra gasped and her eyes widened. However, before she could say anything, Nick hurried to assure her it didn't change anything. "You've been nothing but honest with me since the day we met. I have no doubt that everything you've told me about your past is true also. I think mother's just being a bit too protective." He lifted his hand and laid it on Audra's cheek. "Now, let's not worry about the crazy things mother's over protectiveness is causing her to do. We have a picnic and a beautiful day to enjoy." Nick whispered as he pulled her close and started kissing her once more. The whole time swearing if his mother pressed the issue, he'd choose Audra over her.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Heath, who had ridden into town on some ranch business, hurried towards the saloon. Fred had stopped him, as he came out of the bank and told him he'd seen Jarrod go into the saloon.

"He didn't look well at all and, when I tried to talk to him, all he did was give me extremely short answers and look at the beer he had ordered," were the lawman's exact words. Beer and saloon were two words not often associated with his oldest brother; something was wrong and Heath knew it.

The moment Heath stepped into the saloon, he began looking for Jarrod. It wasn't long before he spotted him sitting at the bar simply staring into his drink. Heath wasted no time making his way through the crowd and to his brother. "One beer, please," he smiled at the new bartender as the man gave him his beer. Once Heath had paid for his drink, he turned to his brother. "Let's get a table."

Jarrod's mouth turned slightly upwards and he gave a half hearted chuckle. Since the sheriff had only left the saloon a few minutes before, Jarrod asked, "Fred tell you I was here?"

"Yeah, he did." Heath said as he suggested finding a table again. This time Jarrod took his glass and complied with Heath's suggestion, as Heath headed for a table that sat within two feet of the south wall. Soon the two brothers were seated, though Jarrod wasn't talking and Heath wasn't pushing him too. Why should he? Jarrod would talk when he was good and ready; all Heath had to do was wait.

"Strawberry use to be quite the town." Jarrod said as he lifted his glass to his lips and then took another sip. "When I was younger, I remember father making more than one trip to the mines he had an interest in at the time. However, not many people live there anymore. Audra's uncle is a drunk who would have lost the place by now if it weren't for the woman Audra calls Teresa." Jarrod remembered how he'd stopped in the saloon for a drink after visiting Mr. Cooper and seeing Teresa sitting at the bar writing in a book and counting some money. With no other employee in the place, Jarrod assumed Teresa was balancing the books and checking things out the way Mr. Turner should have been doing. At the same time he wondered why he had not made the connection before; that is, when he found out where Audra had been born and raised.

"And?" Heath asked when Jarrod fell silent. "What did they tell you?"

Jarrod shook his head and then turned to look at Heath. "Audra and her mother both had rather pretty good reputations, the two people I was able to talk to said that Keith Turner was the main reason they had life so hard." Jarrod the sat back in his chair and set the now empty glass down on the table in front of him and looked straight ahead of him, a faraway look was in his eyes.

Heath, who was now growing rather uneasy due to his brother's odd behavior and expression, asked slowly, "What else did you find out Jarrod?"

Jarrod knew he needed to tell Heath, only first he just had to know how far things had gone with Nick and Audra. "What's been going on at the ranch?" He asked after he turned his head and looked at Heath once more.

Heath didn't have to ask if Jarrod was asking about the ranch as a whole, or if he was specifically talking about their brother and Miss Audra, along with the relationship that had developed between them over the past six months. He knew without Jarrod saying what Jarrod was really asking. He couldn't help but sigh. "I'd have an easier time breaking one of those striped horses I see in books than trying to get Nick to make peace with mother over the matter." He told Jarrod how Nick had found out what their mother had done and how he'd reacted. He then shocked his brother by adding, "Nick's in town right now visiting Audra; she's no longer working for him or mother." When Jarrod raised his eyebrows, Heath explained, "Nick finally decided he shouldn't be courting one of his employees."

Jarrod cringed as he once again thought of the revelation he'd received in Strawberry. "So, everyone knows they like each other and are seeing each other?"

Heath nodded. "They're blind if they don't." He noticed Jarrod pale ever so slightly when he heard Heath's answer.

"What is it, Jarrod? What did you find out?" Heath, who was confused, demanded to know what his brother was talking about did not directly answer his brother's question.

Jarrod sighed and told him what Teresa had said and how Levi Cooper had been more than able to back it up. "She's our half-sister, Heath!" Jarrod said in a rather stressed tone of voice as a look of great shame appeared in his eyes. "Father had an affair with her mother and then walked away, never going back afterwards!"

Heath, whose jaw felt like it had fallen to the ground, couldn't believe what he'd just heard. How on earth could that be the case? Their parents had had a good marriage before Tom Barkley was killed by a hired gun. Though, one look at Jarrod's face and Heath knew his brother wasn't making any of it up. "Nick…" Heath's eyes widened as he started remembering all the rides and picnics their hot tempered brother had taken with Audra. How Nick had talked about teaching her how to shoot and how, once, he had said something that made Heath wonder just how far the relationship had indeed gone. All of a sudden Heath felt rather sick to his stomach. "I don't know for sure how far the relationship has gone; however, I think it's very serious." He went on to tell Jarrod a few of the comments Nick had made, but then said, "Only thing I can say for sure is that I've seen them holding hands and kissing on more than one occasion." Again, he felt ill at the thought of what might very well be happening, even if he didn't blame Nick and Audra. How could he? They were totally oblivious to the fact they shared the same father.

Upon hearing that his brother and the young woman he now knew to be their half-sister were for sure kissing, maybe doing other things as well, Jarrod visibly cringed. He had to do something, and do it fast.

For a moment nothing else was said until Heath broke the silence. "I don't exactly enjoy the thought of either one of us telling mother what you've learned. However, there's something we need to figure out before we step outside this saloon."

Jarrod looked at his blonde haired brother, and sighed as he picked his glass up. "Which one of us is going to tell Nick and Audra?"

WARNING: The next chapter is the reason for the M rating.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Nick, who had been roughly two hundred yards from the house and had seen Jarrod, along with Heath, riding up, had turned Coco around and rode to the line of fence where Audra was. She had insisted on using her day off from the dress shop that she'd found employment at to come out to the ranch and finish up the work she had started before Miss Miles had hired her on as an apprentice. Nick didn't know what, if anything, Jarrod had found, but all of a sudden all he wanted to do was forget about the work on the ranch and spend the day with Audra. He didn't care if the work normally came first or if his choice was spontaneous. It's not like it was the first time he'd done something on the spur of the moment. Now he and Audra sat on the bank of the river entwined in each other's arms.

"I'm not sorry." Nick chuckled as he held Audra close; they were discussing the fact that Jarrod was, most likely, at the house talking to everyone but him…and the fact they'd wonder where Nick and Audra were. "It's what they get for turning on us like they have. If they have a valid reason for not wanting us to court each other, all they had to do was say so. What did mother hope to accomplish sending Jarrod down to Strawberry anyway?"

"Maybe the fact that I'm not lying about being a b…." Audra turned her face away as she couldn't get herself to say the word.

Nick could see pain shoot through Audra's eyes as another message, unspoken, was sent with her unfinished sentence. She thought that Victoria wanted to establish for sure what Audra's parentage was and then, when she found out Audra wasn't lying, she'd forbid Nick to see her out of a need to 'keep her kind' out of their family lines. He held back the anger that he felt at that notion and, taking Audra's chin in the palm of his right hand, turned her to face him again. "The circumstances surrounding your birth aren't important to me." Nick assured her as he ran his finger down the side of her face and said, "I don't know what is going on with mother, but believe me, there is nothing they can tell me that would make me turn my back on you. In one way or the other, as long as you want me in your life, I'll be here for you for."

While she did not doubt his sincerity, or feared that the Barkleys had found anything bad out…how could they when she'd hid nothing from them…Audra still felt strongly that something was going to happen to rob her of having Nick the way she wanted him for the rest of her life. "I can't lose you Nick; I love you."

Nick's eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat as he pulled her even closer and, lowering his head, told her he loved her too. Once again, he savored the taste of her lips. However, this time the kiss lasted longer and deepened. Audra found herself leaning in to Nick and holding on tight to him. For his part, Nick peppered fluttering kisses down her cheek and her neck with his mouth, while running his hands up and down her back. He would have stopped only Audra wasn't objecting. Only, when she said his name did he pull back. "Do you want me to stop?" he looked into her eyes, trying to hide his desire for her only to fail.

"No," Audra kept her eyes on him also and asked, as she slid her arms down his sides, "Does that make me a bad person?" She'd always been taught it would…only she'd fallen in love with Nick and wanted him like she'd never wanted anyone in her life.

"Not by a long shot," Nick let out a groan at the feel of her hands moving up and down his sides, and then pulled her to him, lowered his head and covered her mouth his. By the time he lay her down upon the grass, Nick swore up and down he was going to make sure she did not regret the two of them being together. He whispered everything he'd been holding back into her ear, which only sent tremors through every inch of her…even more so, as he gently removed her clothing from her shoulders, and began fondling every inch her upper body while ravishing her mouth with his tongue.

Audra let out a muffled gasp, as the heat rose inside of her; she' never felt such a need before. As Nick continued exploring the rest of her, he took her hands and helped her do her own exploring; telling her to do whatever she wanted to him. What started out as sensitive and gentle explorations of each other's warm bodies; explorations of love and respect, soon evolved into awe and excitement. By the time Audra found herself on her back, her head tilted back and eyes rolling back, she was sure she was going to explode. Her skin prickled with excitement and her heart yearned for completion. However, when Nick lifted himself above her and began taking her, Audra arched her back and let out a cry loud enough to wake the dead. "Oh, NICK!" She cried out as she grabbed a hold him and held on for all she was worth, screaming she was on fire and begging him to put it out.

Only when Nick wrapped his arms around her and rolled onto his back, keeping her attached to him, did she lay her head on his bare shoulder, relax and catch her breath.

"I love you, Audra." Nick whispered as he ran his fingers through her hair, causing Audra to hold onto to him tightly. For her, at that moment, life had never been better.

**~oOo~**

Victoria sat in a chair near the fireplace while Heath stood near the living room entrance. Jarrod also stood in the room, his face towards Victoria and his back to the front door. Their mother couldn't help, but wonder if the musings she'd started having since she found out that Audra had not been raised in Rockville but in Strawberry were indeed true. "Well? What did you find out?"

Jarrod looked at Heath, who only shook his head as if to say 'no, you tell her. I'm not the one who she sent on the trip'. If he could have, Jarrod would have called him chicken. As it was, he knew how his brother felt. At that moment he'd have sooner been anywhere but in front of his mother. "Everything that Audra ever told us is true." Jarrod began telling her what both Mr. Cooper and Teresa had said.

"But Audra couldn't tell us who her father was." Victoria straightened up and prepared to have the past come back at her full force. After all, her musings had to be right, if Jarrod was standing in front of her looking as if he was about to light a stick a dynamite. "Who's her father?"

Jarrod was more than a bit surprised to realize, from the way his mother's posture had changed and the look in her eye, that she already knew. She was just waiting for confirmation from him. He didn't understand that, and would have asked only he just wanted the words out of his mouth. So, with his attention all on his mother, Jarrod began speaking never hearing any signs of life outside the window and, seeing how Heath's attention was also on Jarrod and their mother, he missed hearing anything too.

Nick and Audra walked into the house just in time to hear Jarrod say "I talked with one Levi Cooper. He's the sole proprietor of the hotel in Strawberry. He says father had an affair with Rose Turner and that he is Audra's father, I have to believe him as Teresa was able to confirm that Audra's father's first name was Tom."

Audra's face paled. She felt like lightning hit her and she whispered 'no'. Her world had been crushed yet again.

Nick gasped, causing Jarrod and Heath to whirl around and causing Victoria's eyes to widen in horror. She had found herself grateful that the two were not in the house when Jarrod began talking and was now horrified they'd had to find out this way.

"NO!" Audra, who found her voice, screamed sickened at the words she'd heard and unwilling to believe them, especially after what had developed and happened between Nick and her. Turning around she fled out of the house before anyone could stop her.

"Nick…" Victoria took a step forward only it did her no good as a look of fury appeared in her middle son's eyes.

Nick closed the gap between his older brother and he and snapped, "You keep your damn lies to yourself!" He glared at Jarrod as he let his fist fly across Jarrod's face. His brother fell to the floor and Victoria started towards her oldest only to have him stop her. Jarrod, who naturally felt great pain for the shock his brother and half sister had just received, sat up and assured his mother he was all right. However, when he tried to talk to Nick the man simply exploded.

"I'm going after Audra!" Nick snapped as he flew out of the room and disappeared out of the house just as fast as Audra had, leaving his family to discuss how to get the two of them to listen and to accept the fact that they weren't being lied to.

"Maybe we should catch up with them ourselves." Heath said, though the doubt he felt towards doing any such thing could be heard in his voice.

"No," Victoria, who would have gone to Jarrod's aide only to watch Audra reach him first, sighed, "They need time to digest what they just heard. We will talk about it later." At least, she prayed like mad they'd be able too.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

The wind whipped across Audra's face, as she pushed her horse forward, not caring to notice the trees and small shrubbery she was passing, nor did she seem to be aware of the tears that were flowing down her cheeks. As the sound of her horse's hooves hit the ground again and again, Audra was telling herself that it couldn't be true. Oh sure, Levi Cooper was an honorable man, but he just had to be mistaken! After all, she loved Nick and, before heading home they'd talked about getting engaged. However, if Mr. Cooper was right, that meant Nick was her half brother and after the things they'd done…Audra was a jumbled mixed of emotions. One part of her said what they had done had felt right; it was love. Another part tried to get her to accept a self loathing and disgust. The last part that ran through her mind told her that she'd just lost a most precious future. Audra tears began falling faster.

"Audra!" Nick yelled as he pushed Coco as hard as he could, trying to catch up with the woman Jarrod was claiming was their half sister. He had to catch up with her, to talk to her. While a part of Nick was screaming that this Mr. Cooper had not given the correct information to Jarrod, a part of him told him there was no way his family would lie to them on such a serious matter. Still, no matter the struggle he was having inside himself, Nick had to reassure Audra he had not lied to her. One way or the other, he would always be there for her…even if Jarrod was right. After all, a big brother could always be there for his little sister. "Audra!" He called out again.

Audra heard her name Nick calling her name only, due to her state of mind, it wasn't connecting that Nick was actually trying to catch up with her. Only after he called her name out a third time did she realize that was the case. However, before she could stop her horse the animal's right front hoof stepped into a small hole in the road and stumbled.

"AUDRA!" Nick yelled in horror, as he watched Audra fall with the horse. By the time he reached her, he could see her horse standing a good hundred yards away, letting out a few neighs, while Audra lay on her back motionless upon the ground.

"Audra!" Nick quickly knelt down beside her.

"Someone should tell the horse to watch where he runs." Audra gave Nick a half smile, but then, with pleading eyes, as said softly, "They're wrong, aren't they, Nick? You're not my bro…" she never finished the sentence as she closed her eyes and lost consciousness.

Nick's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly laid his fingers on the neck and looked at chest. He was relieved to feel a strong heat beat and see her chest rising and falling. Not knowing how badly she was hurt, Nick dared not carry her back to the ranch on the back of a horse, but how to get her back to the ranch was another question. It would have remained a problem too only, call it coincidence or credit the Barkley luck, Nick heard a wagon off in the distance and he turned his head.

"Fred!" Nick yelled once he realized that the sheriff, who was actually taking a day off while his deputy took over his legal duties, was driving a wagon off in the distance. When Fred heard Nick's very loud voice, he turned his head. The moment he realized what was going on, he brought the reins down upon his team of horses, picking up the speed they'd been traveling at. In what he was sure was record time, the lawman had the wagon at the scene of the accident.

"What happened?" Fred asked as he jumped down from the buckboard.

As much as he respected the sheriff, Nick wasn't about to tell Fred the whole story. Still, the man deserved some sort of answer. "Her horse and a small hole had a disagreement." Nick answered as he moved and positioned himself in such a manner as to enable him to slide his arms underneath her arms. "Let's get her into the back of your wagon and get it back to the ranch."

"Okay," Fred took a hold of Audra's legs. He and Nick and he carefully, they laid her in the back of the wagon, hoping more damage had not been done by moving her. While he might not know the true relation between Audra and the Barkleys, Fred sincerely prayed the young lady would be okay.

**~oOo~**

There was absolutely no talking going on in the Barkley home as Jarrod and Heath either stood or sat in the living room while Victoria sat in the chair nearest the living room entrance. The only sound that echoed through the house was the sound of Nick's spurs hitting the floor as he paced the back and forth, cross the length of the living room more than once. Finally, Victoria couldn't take it anymore.

"Please, Nick stop it! All that pacing isn't going to do anyone any good."

Nick stopped, all of the emotions he was feeling seemed to collide at that very moment, and he exploded. "No, what would have done us some good is, if someone had told us up front what you were looking for when you sent Jarrod down to Strawberry! That is, tell us what you suspected and," he snapped even fiercer, "You had to have somewhat of an idea of what he'd find to send him down there in the first place! IF what you're claiming is true, this," He waved towards the stairs leading to the room where Dr. Merar tending to Audra, "could have all been avoided!"

Victoria sighed, as she glanced towards the stairs and then back at her still seething son. "Looking back on it, I should have suspected something from the beginning only I didn't. As far as I knew Audra was from Rockville." Victoria sighed and explained that during a troubled time of their marriage Tom had had an affair. "He came home and confessed it to me and begged for another chance. That affair took place in Strawberry. Therefore, I did not make the connection to Audra even though she said her mother had once been a schoolteacher." Victoria sighed again as she looked at Nick. "Only when I realized how uncomfortable I got anytime you looked at her in that ways did I begin to wonder more about her background."

Jarrod spoke up, "When mother came into the study and talked to me, I realized that none of us had ever told her Audra had freely admitted to us that she'd been born and raised in Strawberry; it was something Audra probably assumed we had passed on to mother. We just have to pray she'll be okay and then do what we can to make sure she knows that we want her to be a part of our family. To make sure she knows there is no blame, that we will willingly acknowledge her as our sister."

Nick, who had marched over to the window, whirled around and exploded once more. "As our sister! You keep sayin' that, but how can I accept that!" He bellowed as fire shot out of his eyes, "We…" He stopped as his eyes fell on his mother. Nick felt his world spinning faster than it had been when he first heard the news. He could confess what had happened between Audra and himself to his brothers, and what possibly could be a result because of it, but his mother was a different story. He turned his eyes to Heath, who he could tell was hurting for him, and then looked back at Jarrod, who wore a similar look as Heath's. Without warning, Nick sprinted out of the room and up the stairs. He didn't know what to think or what to believe. Only there was one thing he wanted to make sure of… that Audra knew that none of the blame for the current mess was her fault. Afterwards he was going to drink a whole bottle of whiskey…even if it meant drinking in the loft of the barn and waking up with a hangover from hell.

When Heath started to get up to go after him, his mother stopped him. "If Dr. Merar doesn't want him up there; he'll send him back down." Victoria spoke quietly, but with authority as she watched Nick disappear around the corner that led to the upstairs hallway. The whole time she was berating herself for not coming up with another way to find out her answers. Now, she was left to wonder what would happen next.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

Heath sat next to the bed where Audra lay. At his mother's insistence, everyone was taking turns sitting with the young woman until she woke up. Or, Heath thought as he glanced over to the window where Nick stood with his back to his brother, should he simply say that his mother had very forcibly requested that he and Jarrod take turns with her when it came to sitting with their new found sister? Victoria hadn't had to ask Nick anything. Once the dark haired rancher had recovered from the hangover he'd acquired the night before. No, Nick was constantly in the room, leaving it only to eat or get a drink…though he kept that to the bare minimal since he didn't want to deal with another hangover at the moment. Heath sighed as his mind wandered back to the first few weeks Audra had been there. He wondered now why he hadn't realized what was staring him in his face back then.

_"Watch out!" Heath chuckled and looked up towards the loft; hay had just fallen through the air and landed on top of him. Only after he looked up did he realize the hay had help in moving. Audra stood above him laughing._

_ "You did that on purpose." Heath wiped the hay off him and smiled._

_ "Well, just this morning you said to treat you like I would one of my friends or to simply look at you as if you were the brother I never had." Audra continued chuckling as Heath had shook his head, laughed with her and told her to be careful as he knew just how to throw it back at a body._

"Look Audra," Heath said as Silas had pulled Nick out of the room while Heath was deep in thought, something Heath was taking advantage, "I'm sorry things got so serious between you and Nick before we knew our true relationship to you, but please, don't go dying on us. It will just kill him if you do. I know it will. Can't you just come out of it? None of us blame either one of you for how far things went and we can all support the two of you while you make the adjustment to being brother and sister." He might have said more only Jarrod entered the room telling Heath that he, Jarrod, would take over.

"Fine," Heath stood up and looked at Audra again and sighed. She just had to pull through.

One Heath was gone Jarrod sat down and began to do his own thinking. Like Heath, as he looked back on things, he knew he should have realized what he was looking at. After all, while he had not known about the affair, he did know of his father's trips to Strawberry during a troubled part of his marriage to Victoria. He should have been able to put two and two together. And, like Heath, he had a memory come back to him, one with Audra in it.

_"I hope you know what you're doing, seeing Nick that is. Oh, I know," he held up his hand when Audra looked as if she was getting defensive, "He's just teaching you to shoot and such, and no one else knows any better. Still, he's your boss. Are you putting yourself in a bit of a risky position?"_

_Audra smiled and, even though she wondered if she might be out of line in doing so, jokingly asked, "Are you forbidding from taking my lessons, Pappy." __She wasn't surprised when he started to say something only to stop and laugh. He was going to have to tell his brothers to stop calling him that in front of Audra; she was just as big of a tease as they were…and she was picking up on their names for him._

"Audra," Jarrod leaned forward and, clasping his hands together, "Please, wake up. Give us a chance to be the family you never had." He then, like Heath, assured her no one in the family thought anything less of her or Nick for having had the relationship they had. "You thought you were honestly available to each other. If something comes from it, we won't turn our backs on you; we'll deal with it." Jarrod spoke softly, "We won't hold that against you. Still, if you die…" He shuddered slightly, "I don't want to see what it will do to Nick. Oh, you might have to live with one very overprotective brother, but he's worth it…as you know." He might have said more, only Nick stepped back into the room, along with their mother. Jarrod stood up, let his mother take his place and then excused himself.

Victoria, who noticed Nick had his arms folded and was not budging from where he stood, sighed inwardly. She, like the others, wondered about the future, but she said nothing to her middle son as she looked at, and spoke to, Audra. When it came to Nick and her, Victoria said pretty much the same thing as Heath and Jarrod had said…that Audra would be accepted without judgment and that she, Victoria, knew that Audra and Nick could make the adjustment to siblings instead of a couple. Afterwards, she begged forgiveness for not seeing what was right in front of her eyes. "Heaven forgive me only, looking back at it, I saw Tom in you only, not knowing you were Strawberry, gave me the excuse to shut my eyes and deny what I was seeing. Please, forgive me for that and give me a chance; give us a chance please." Then, only because she'd promised Nick time alone with Audra, did Victoria stand up and leave the room.

"Audra," Nick said as he moved the chair away and sat down on the side of the bed, "Where ever you're at right now listen to me, please, and listen close." He took a hold of her hand, fighting the tears that wanted to come, even going so far as to close his eyes for a moment before he began speaking. "Society says I should say I'm sorry for what we shared only, I'm not. How can I be? I thought we free to do so." Nick held her hand close to his chest. "I don't blame you for running off too; I just wish I had been able to get you to hear me sooner, maybe your horse wouldn't have stumbled if I had." Nick began fighting the ray of emotions that threatened to overcome him. "Audra, please, wake up. I told you that I'd be in your life one way or the other. Okay, it will have to be as your big brother nothing more, but is that so bad?" Then, due to how far things had gone the last time they were alone, Nick leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry about the 'what if''. If 'it' happened, we'll work something out somehow. No matter what, you won't be alone. I mean, four half-brothers, and a stepmother, along with aunts, uncles and cousins isn't exactly what I call alone." Though, even as he spoke, Nick began to pray nothing had come from their time together. Audra didn't need that and, truth be told, he wasn't sure how he'd handle it. After all, a child deserved two parents, and they couldn't continue their relationship and eventually marry. No, while he knew that in some cultures, marrying cousins or uncles marrying nieces were acceptable theirs wasn't one of them. Also, while even in this country there were incidences where this kind of thing happened, it was illegal. More importantly…it made him do more than cringe at the thought of being involved with his half-sibling in that manner. Nick continued talking for a few more minutes and then moved to the chair, leaned back and closed his eyes. He was tired, but he wasn't about to leave the room until Audra woke up if he could help it.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

Silence once again reined in the Barkley dining hall as Victoria, Jarrod and Nick sat at the table; Heath was sitting with Audra, who was still unconscious; had been for close to fifteen hours. The anxiety they'd felt at first had only intensified when the doctor said that, if she didn't at least start drifting in and out of consciousness soon, he was looking at the possibility of a skull fracture and the need to transport the young woman to the nearest major hospital.

"Nick, please," Victoria said as she looked at her middle son simply moving his food around on the plate that sat in front of him, "eat something. Your sister will be…" she never finished her sentence as Nick slammed his utensils down, causing vibrations to rumble across the table. Both Jarrod and Victoria jerked slightly backwards.

"My sister!" Nick bellowed louder than he ever had, as he pushed his chair back, stood up and started pacing around the room. He glared at his mother for the thousandth time as he stopped near the credenza that sat next to the dining room windows and slammed his fist down upon it, silently cursing his father as well. Since he had confessed to Jarrod and Heath just how far things had gone, and he knew for a fact Jarrod had talked to their mother, Nick held nothing back. "I still can't believe you did nothing when you first got the slightest inkling something was off! That is not like you! I...Audra…we…." Nick felt the color draining slightly from his face as his stomach churned as he fought to keep his anger towards his mother's failure to speak up and his late father's infidelity under control. "She could be carrying my child!" Nick, who was still battling yet another hangover, had to hold his head after throwing the words out. "What on earth do you expect me to do?" He brought his fist down upon the credenza again, only he made sure it didn't hit the wood as hard as it had before. He then fell silent as he leaned on the piece of furniture; thanks to all his yelling and his hangover, his head was beginning to pound worse than ever.

Upon hearing Nick actually verbalize everyone's fear, Victoria felt as if someone had hit her square in the chest. More than ever she wished she had listened to what her impressions had been trying to tell her instead of simply ignoring them, denying that anything could have come about of Tom's affair years ago. At least that's the only reason Victoria could think of to explain such an abnormal decision on her part. She would have said something only Jarrod, seeing his mother go a bit pale, spoke up first, wanting to spare her from having to deal with the matter.

Jarrod leaned back in his chair and began talking in his pappy voice. "Mother is just as human as the rest of us Nick. You don't have to remind her of her mistakes; just like you, she already knows them." That seemed to take the wind right out of Nick; he bowed his head just a little more than it was already. Jarrod continued, "We know," he said as he ran his hand through his hair, "what the possibilities are;" he said as let out a deep breath, "Only none of us are going to do that young lady, our sister, up there any good if we don't keep our heads on straight!" He had to bite his tongue from saying anything else as he wanted to say a few things that were not acceptable to repeat with his mother present. One of them being that it seemed his father was not the only one to throw caution to the wind.

"I…" Nick lifted his head and started to speak only to have Silas, who had taken Heath's meal up to him, came hurrying into the room.

"Mister Nick, Mister Nick," Silas stopped near Nick, who had straightened up and turned his attention away from Silas.

"What is it? Is it Audra?" Nick asked as he felt his heart jump slightly.

"Sort of, she's mumbling, repeating your name. Mister Heath..." Silas stopped speaking as Nick, in spite of his headache, bolted out of the room then looked at Victoria and Jarrod, "Mister Heath said to come and fetch Mister Nick. He said to tell the two of you she was starting to be awake. Does this mean she'll be all right, Mrs. Barkley?" Silas asked as Victoria and Jarrod both stood up.

"I hope so, Silas." Victoria told him before making her way out of the dining hall with Jarrod following her.

~oOo~

Nick, who had bounded up the stairs, missing everyone other one, grabbed a hold of the doorway and swung back and forth before he got control of himself and entered the room. The moment he entered Heath stood up and Audra turned her head and looked at him. If it wasn't for the look of a fear in Audra's eyes, Nick would have been rejoicing. As it was, he crossed the room in no time flat and looked down at Audra. "How do you feel?"

Audra shocked both Nick and Heath when she replied contritely, "I'm sorry. I should have listened to you. I thought those boxes were more stable. Please, give me another chance."

Boxes? Another chance? Heath looked at Nick who, for a split second, was lost. However, slowly his eyes widened. Audra was talking about an incident that happened two weeks after she started working for them! One which had him trying with all his might not to fire her. Nick sat down on the side of the bed in a bit of a daze. "Audra, what month, day and year is it?"

Audra frowned. Why on earth was he asking such a stupid thing? "Saturday, March first, eighteen seventy six, why?"

Nick rocked just enough to cause Heath to lay his hand on his brother's shoulder, and enough to scare Audra. "What is it? What's wrong?" Audra tried to sit up only to find her head hurting something fierce.

"Don't try to move." Nick was quick to lay his hands upon her shoulders and gently push her back down. He then took a deep breath and told her, "It's August twenty-third; you fell off your horse."

Audra couldn't believe it. "I…Six months; I've been here for six months?"

Heath started to answer only to have Nick stop him. "Leave the room… just let me deal with this, please?" His eyes begged Heath to do as he asked.

Heath, who was amazed Nick was dealing with things as well as he was considering everything, nodded and said nothing as he did as Nick asked. When he was gone, Nick turned back to Audra. "You remember nothing of the past six months?"

Audra could see every emotion imaginable in Nick's countenance at that moment. She couldn't help but wonder what was really going on, as she closed her eyes and ran through the memories she had. She was shocked to find a handful of scattered memories that existed after the day she'd fallen from the boxes she'd climbed on appear before her eyes. She was even more shocked to realize Nick was in many of them…only the memories with him in them were rather fuzzy. She also felt greatly there something was wrong only question is what? After a few moments, she told Nick what little she remembered. "What's going on Nick? And don't tell me nothing, I can tell there is by the tormented look in your eyes."

Nick felt a bittersweet emotion wash over him and he successfully fought back a barrage of tears that wanted to come. "Nick?" Audra's voice rose slightly, bringing him out of thoughts.

If only he knew what the consequences of their own choices would be, he could simply crawl in his bed, shut the door and suffer though his terrible headache in peace, avoiding the conversation he had to have with her… thanks to her, mostly, lost memories. As it was he sighed and stood up. "I need to shut the door first." He did not want to be interrupted while he and Audra had one very serious talk and then, after sleeping off the pain in his head, he was going to pay a visit to a six year old grave.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

After giving McColl instructions for the day, Nick saddled Coco and rode away from the house. His headache was gone, but his heartache and his fury remained. Pushing Coco as hard as he could, Nick took no time to enjoy any of the beauty around him. He had one thing in mind and one thing only. By the time he reached the grove his father was buried in, Nick had gone through everything he wanted to say a hundred times. However, once he tethered Coco to nearby tree and stood in front of his father's grave, he found a thousand other things to add.

"Well, father," Nick spoke in a strong, angry tone as he put his hands on his hips; held nothing back. "What the hell did you think you were doing! You had mother, you had Jarrod, Heath and myself! Why on earth go to Strawberry and have an affair with a woman who had a good reputation and a wonderful job!" By this time Nick had hung his hat on the fence that surrounded his father's grave and doing all he could not to rip it, the fence, apart.

"You have a daughter!" Nick started to walk around his father's burial plot. "Her name is Audra!" He started telling his father all about Audra; how he'd met her and why he'd hired her in the first place. By the time he got to the point in the story where he fell in love with his own half-sister, Nick was on his knees and tears were running down his cheeks and using every four letter word that he knew. "How could you!" He waved his hand through the air, "I never would have allowed myself to fall in love with her if I'd known the truth! For that matter, there shouldn't' have been a reason for her to be raised anywhere but here, on the ranch, with us!" Nick grabbed the fence and shook it hard, but not so hard as to break it, "You're lucky mother's the one who put this small fence up or I'd be knocking it and that headstone of yours over!"

Being bent on telling his father off, and half way beginning to think to rip the fence out in spite of who put the fence up, Nick didn't see Heath riding up, dismount Charger and tether him to a nearby tree. By the time Heath knelt beside Nick the dark haired rancher head hung, and he was saying nothing. His head only came up when Heath laid his hand on his shoulder. "How could he?" Nick, his eyes full of pain, asked not really expecting an answer, though he got one anyway.

"He'd have to be the one to tell you that." Heath, who was dealing with his own anger towards his father, answered quietly. Then, after a moment of silence Heath sighed. "Nick, when it comes to father, what is done is done. Neither one of us can bring him back and make him account for the choices he made. Besides, I would think we have…_other_ things to worry about."

Nick didn't have to ask why Heath had paused as he spoke or what he meant by emphasizing the word 'other'; he knew. "Audra and I decided to discuss that issue once she's had more time to recover from her fall. It was hard enough discussing the fact that she's our half-sister and the fact that we'd even courted." He answered curtly as he again glared at his father's headstone. "I wasn't exactly up to discussing anything else at the time."

Heath, who understood perfectly well why that had been the case, nodded. Then, hoping to help his brother do his own healing, Heath said, "Look, no one blames you for being angry with father. Boy howdy, how can we? Jarrod, Eugene and I all have our own anger we're dealing with right now, and mother had hers to deal with years ago. Still, we've got to work through it." Heath took a deep breath and continued, "Yes, father was horribly wrong in doing what he did, only mother did assure me that he never wandered more than the one time and then he confessed the affair of his own free will…because he was truly tormented by his poor choice. Yes," Heath fought down his own anger as he too threw a glare towards their father's grave, "he should have gone back and check to see if anything had come about because of his liaison, only he didn't, and we can't undo that."

"He sure the hell should have!" Nick snapped as he thought on Audra laying her bed recovering from her fall and praying like mad she hadn't been left with child by their actions, a thought that sickened him every time he thought about it. "She deserved better than a life in a saloon!" He shook his head as he corrected himself, "They deserved better."

Heath wasn't going to argue that point, only he saw no sense in dwelling on a past neither of them could change either. "We should go back to the house. Audra needs you more than ever. When Nick raised his head and gave him a look of bewilderment, Heath hurried to explain. "Nick, after what's happened, she needs to see that you and the rest of us aren't just saying words. We need to show her by our actions, not just our words, that she is a member of this family. And," he said as he stood up, "I would think that she needs to see that fact from you the most."

Nick, still feeling the weight of the world upon his shoulders, stood up and put his hat back on. Heath was right, and he knew it. All his words to Audra would mean nothing if he didn't pull himself together and stand by her the way a brother would stand next to his sister. Turning away from the grave, he followed his brother to where the horses were tethered, even if he was still silently cursing his father and what the man had failed to do.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Nick was standing in front of the fireplace, his left hand upon the mantle and a whiskey in his right hand as he gazed at nothing in particular. His mind was on the first of the many conversations he'd had with Audra. To say she'd been shocked to find out she was their sister would have put it mildly. And, naturally, she was appalled when Nick told her how they'd fallen in love with each other and what had happened.

_"What are we going to do?" Audra was beside herself when Nick told her everything. If they'd been courting, and she was indeed his half-sister, continuing that courtship and looking at marriage was most definitely out of the question. And, if by chance she had….Audra broke down crying unable to finish her train of thought._

_ "Don't, please," Nick quickly wrapped his arms around her, but made sure he wasn't holding her in any position that would be considered inappropriate for a brother to hold his sister in. "It's like I keep telling you. You're not alone. You have all of us and all the relatives we have. Besides, who knows, maybe we're worrying for nothing. Anyway, we can discuss everything in length when you're better."_

Just as his mother entered the room Nick swallowed the last of the whiskey and threw the glass into the empty fireplace. Naturally, it shattered into a thousand pieces all over the bottom of the fireplace. Victoria's heart went out to her son, though she was through beating herself up for acting so out of character and not finding out the facts sooner. It had not, and would not, change what was. "How are you son?" Victoria, who had gone up to talk to Audra, who had arrived home from her day's work at the dress shop, only to find her sleeping, asked as she walked up beside her son. It had been a couple of weeks since Audra's accident and, while she had patiently asked no questions of her son and stepdaughter, her curiosity demanded that she get the answers she'd wanted to get long before now.

Nick shrugged his shoulders as he kept his eyes on the fireplace and successfully fought down the rage that threatened to raise its head once more. "I'll be fine."

"I really am sorry for, subconsciously, refusing to see what was right in front of my face son. I would never purposely do anything that would lead you to be hurt so." Victoria spoke quietly, but with sincerity, and Nick could feel it.

"You don't have to worry," Nick said as he turned, stepped away from the fireplace and sat down in a nearby chair, staring straight ahead of him. "It's like we told you, we won't be seeing each other anymore; that is, not in the way a man would see a woman when it comes to courting and such." Nick would have poured himself another whiskey, only getting flat out drunk again, which he still felt like doing, wasn't going to do a blasted thing for him or anyone else.

"And if there's a child?" Victoria, greatly concerned about the possibility, asked as she found her way to the sofa and sat down.

Nick lifted his hand to his forehead and rubbed it while closing his eyes for a moment. Nope, he definitely didn't need to drink at the moment; he was already working on another headache as it was. Discussing that part with Audra (on more than one occasion) had been the worst of it, but at least they had, in the end, come to the same conclusion. "Then, I take her to live with Uncle Jim and Aunt Ellen under the pretense of her working for them," Nick looked at his mother, "I've already written to them and explained everything, and received a reply. Once the child is born and can be weaned, I will conveniently go on a trip, adopt the child and bring him, or her, back here. Audra will return the following year, as the child's doting aunt and governess. Not the most ideal situation and solution, but the only acceptable one to us. In fact," he paused and shook his head, "She still might go live with them for awhile." He didn't have to say that, if Audra did, it would be to give him more time to adjust to the fact she was his sister.

A large portion of Victoria wanted to tell him to just let someone else adopt the child, if there was one, only she knew Nick would never be able to do that…especially after what Tom had done and after what he, Nick, knew of Audra's growing up years. Also, as much as she wanted to tell Audra not to even consider moving in with Jim and Ellen, she knew it was not her choice to make. That being the case, she stood back up and excused herself, praying that time would indeed heal the wounds she knew existed in both Nick and Audra's hearts.

**~oOo~**

Any scenery that Nick might have enjoyed simply whizzed by him as he pushed Coco forward. He had to get to the station before it left. He was more than relieved to see Audra standing on the platform when he rounded the corner to the station. In no time at all, he had his horse tethered to the hitching post and was also on the platform. For Audra's part, she was shocked to see Nick at the station. He was supposed to out on the range.

"Where do you think you're going?" Nick put his hands on his hips and looked at his sister. "I thought you'd decided to stay with us. That is, unless you're going to tell me are carrying a child after all. And," his eyes narrowed as studied her closely, "if you are, Uncle Jim and Aunt Ella's place is in the other direction, and you need take a stagecoach not a train."

Audra, who had been fighting with herself for a few months shook her head slowly. "I'm not carrying a child, but Nick," her eyes filled with so much sadness it tugged at Nick's heart, "it's not fair to you. I mean, I might not have any memories of what we shared, but you do. Every time I step into the same room as you I can see how much on edge and uncomfortable you get. It's not fair." It wasn't either. He'd been nothing but good and kind to her, treating her with nothing but brotherly love and respect. Still, he was also having the struggle of his lifetime. She could see it and blamed her presence for it.

"I'm adjusting, sis," Nick forced himself to say sis, realizing he'd never call her by that term. "You're a part of our family now. None of us would be the same if you left."

Audra might have objected only she was shocked to see Victoria, Jarrod and Heath come around the corner. Eugene was still at Berkley, but they had written to him and told them about Audra being his half sister. If it wasn't for his final exams he would have been home in a flash and standing there right beside them; he said as much in the letter he'd sent in reply to theirs. Victoria stepped forward. "Nick is right. You're a Barkley, a sister the boys always needed and," she smiled wide, "a daughter I always wanted. Please, reconsider. We don't want you to go."

Audra looked at Nick, whose eyes were begging her to give him a chance to be a big brother to her. _"I'm adjusting, sis."_ His words rang in her ears. The fact that he'd added the term of 'sis' to his sentence told her how sincere he was. "Okay," she smiled at Victoria and her brothers. "I'll give it an earnest shot." The moment the words were out of her mouth Audra was being hugged and assured once again she was more than welcome in the family.

**Epilogue (Two Years later)**

"How do I look?" Audra stood on the porch and looked at Nick, who was sitting on the porch cleaning his guns while she waited for her date, one Michael Jensen, to show up. He was rather new in town; still, he had made friends with Audra. When he asked her out to the town social, she'd accepted.

Nick looked up at Audra, who stood on the porch wearing a beautiful green dress waiting for her date to pick her up. The young woman had slowly adjusted to the fact that Tom Barkley was her father and that Jarrod, Nick, Heath and Eugene were her half-brothers. In spite of Audra's concerns, Nick had made the adjustment to being her brother and they were now as close as two people could get without crossing any of 'those lines'. Though, it had also taken Audra more than a few months to start calling Victoria mother and, of course, they'd had to deal with the gossipers in town, but that wasn't exactly a surprise to anyone in the family. They'd simply made sure Audra knew she had their shoulders to cry on when it felt as if it was just too much. Though, they were all grateful as the talk died down and then completely disappeared.

"You look fine, sis." Nick told her with a smile upon his face. "Mr. Jensen's a lucky man, and if he knows what's good for him, he'll treat you like a queen and bring you home safely." For his sister's sake, Nick was grateful that the social was being on such a pleasant night…not a single sign of bad weather and the breeze that was blowing was wonderful.

One glance at the look in her brother's eyes and Audra put her hands on her hips and tilted her head. "Are you going to sit there cleaning those guns until he picks me up?"

"Yep," Nick grinned as he finished with the smaller gun, set it aside and began working on a rifle.

"And I bet you'll be here cleaning them when Michael brings me home?" Audra folded her arms and gave him a look that said 'I dare you to tell me different'.

Nick had sworn he was going to do right by his new sister after they had their talk in front of the train station, and he didn't intend to break that promise now. As far as he was concerned interrogating her boyfriends while cleaning his guns was a good way to weed out the bad beaus. "Probably," Nick chuckled and then busted up laughing as Audra made a face at him and turned her back to him. Her reaction didn't bother him a bit for he knew that she was only smiling from ear to ear at the moment. He also knew that, in years to come, she'd get married and tell all her children how her overprotective brother used to love scaring off any man who showed up the house to court her only to fail with their father. He was right….Audra was doing just that, and did all that in the years to come.


End file.
